Two Massive Earthquakes Devastate Northern Venezuela

Overview

• Two near‑simultaneous quakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday, flattening many buildings in La Guaira and shaking Caracas.
• Authorities and UN officials say at least 1,430 people have died, more than 50,000 are listed as missing and thousands are injured while the IOM estimates up to 6.76 million people may be affected.
• Teams from at least 17 countries are on the ground, with about 250 U.S. rescuers and 85 French specialists reported to have arrived and a Caracas runway reopened to receive aid flights.
• The interim government has deployed roughly 14,000 military and police in La Guaira and requires permits for volunteers, a policy residents say slows local rescue efforts.
• Hospitals are overwhelmed, more than 300 aftershocks have been recorded, and UN damage estimates put losses near $7 billion, a recovery challenge made harder by preexisting service weakness and financial constraints.