CARACAS, VENEZUELA — A pair of catastrophic earthquakes has struck Venezuela, killing at least 32 people and leaving over 700 injured, according to initial statements from acting President Delcy Rodríguez. The back-to-back tremors, measuring magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, hit an area west of the capital and sent shockwaves so powerful they could be felt as far away as Bogota, Colombia.
In Caracas, frantic rescue operations are currently underway. Emergency responders are combing through the rubble of collapsed buildings, where trapped individuals have been heard calling out for help. According to the BBC’s Vanessa Silva, who is reporting from Caracas, the capital is grappling with complete power outages and the metro system has been entirely shut down. Significant structural damage has also been reported along the coast in La Guaira.
While the confirmed death toll currently stands at 32, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has issued a dire warning, classifying the disaster with a rare “red alert”—a severity designation typically issued for only one or two earthquakes globally each year. Initial estimates from the USGS indicate that the most likely potential loss of life could range between 10,000 and 100,000 people.
These grim fatality estimates are calculated using the USGS’s PAGER system, which rapidly assesses the potential scope of an earthquake’s impact. The system evaluates multiple variables, including the magnitude of the quake, its depth beneath the surface, the intensity of ground shaking, and the population density of the exposed area. It then cross-references these details with historical data from previous earthquakes possessing similar characteristics.
The USGS emphasizes that the 10,000 to 100,000 range is not an exact figure, but rather a vital projection designed to help government agencies, emergency responders, and the media understand the potential scale of the event to deploy resources effectively. Several other crucial factors will heavily influence the final death and injury tolls, such as the structural quality of local buildings and the time of day the disaster occurred—noting that if people are sleeping when a quake strikes, their ability to successfully evacuate is drastically reduced.
Authorities expect the figures to be updated continuously in the coming days as rescue efforts press deeper into the affected zones and more information becomes available.
