Caracas. Two powerful earthquakes caused widespread devastation in Venezuela. According to the information so far, 164 people have died in this natural accident while 971 people have been injured. After the earthquake, emergency has been declared in the country and rescue operations are underway.
Offers of assistance have started coming from all over the world. Prime Minister Modi said that India has offered all possible help to Venezuela. Many countries including China, America, Ecuador, Qatar, Mexico and El Salvador have announced relief and rescue aid consignments.
According to media reports, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the first earthquake was of 7.1 magnitude at around 6.30 pm on Wednesday (around 4.00 am on Thursday, Indian time).
Just one minute later, a second and more powerful aftershock of 7.5 magnitude was felt. Both earthquakes were epicentered near the coastal city of Moron, about 160 kilometers west of the capital Caracas. Due to the depth of the earthquake being only 10 kilometers, its impact was extremely devastating.
The worst damage has occurred in La Guaira, the coastal state in northern Venezuela, which the government has declared a “disaster area.” Dozens of buildings have collapsed and relief and rescue operations are being affected due to communication disruption in many areas.
Many multi-storey buildings also collapsed in and around the capital Caracas. The government has declared emergency in the entire country. Electricity and mobile networks were disrupted in the capital.
Simón Bolívar International Airport was closed due to damage, while metro services and natural gas supplies were also temporarily halted. Classes in schools have been canceled and some schools are being converted into relief camps. Relief workers are continuously carrying out operations to rescue people trapped under the debris.
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