Two powerful earthquakes that occurred in Venezuela on Wednesday evening have caused massive devastation in the country. The death toll from the earthquake has increased to 235. The country’s Health Ministry gave this information on Friday. Relief and rescue teams are still searching for people trapped under the debris. Thousands of people are feared to still be buried under the debris. The army, relief agencies and international rescue teams are jointly carrying out rescue operations in the affected areas. At the same time, many countries have also extended a helping hand to Venezuela.
Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.1 and 7.5 were felt within a minute in Venezuela. This is one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit the country in the last hundred years. Within no time, big buildings fell like a deck of cards. People were seen running on the streets to save their lives. Many buildings collapsed in the capital Caracas and on the Caribbean coast. The maximum damage occurred here because the epicenter of the earthquake was here.
Death toll in earthquake reached 235
According to the Health Ministry, the death toll is continuously increasing as the debris is removed and relief teams reach the affected areas. Thousands of people are still missing. In such a situation, the death toll is likely to increase further. The deaths of 235 people have been confirmed so far. Thousands of people are said to be injured, who are undergoing treatment in different hospitals of the country. People were also seen removing debris themselves to search for themselves. The damaged buildings are being searched.
The first epicenter of the earthquake was west of Moron, a coastal area about 168 km west of Caracas. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 13 km. Before people could recover, a second, stronger aftershock struck, centered just 16 km south-west of Moron at a depth of 10 km. The most devastation caused by the earthquake occurred in the La Guaira coastal area. Many buildings here have completely collapsed. The country’s major international airport is also located in this area, which has been closed after being damaged by the earthquake. Due to this, there is a hindrance in the reach of relief material and rescue teams.
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez has declared La Guaira a disaster area. National emergency has been declared in the country. He has ordered rescue teams from across the country to be immediately dispatched to La Guerra and has appealed to private companies to provide heavy machinery. “The government is doing everything possible to save as many lives as possible,” Rodriguez said. In his address to the nation, the President expressed deep condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the earthquake.
Meanwhile, international help has also started arriving. Canada has announced to provide $3.5 million as humanitarian aid to Venezuela. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said that this help is being given to provide necessary relief to the most affected people. This amount will be used to meet emergency food, clean drinking water, health services, sanitation, security and other life-saving needs. The first relief team from the Dominican Republic is expected to arrive soon, while teams from several other countries are reported to be on their way.