Venezuela Quake Catastrophe

Twin powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela last week, devastating La Guaira state, Caracas and coastal communities while pushing the confirmed death toll past 1,700. Officials reported more than 5,000 injured, with tens of thousands still missing as international rescue teams and residents searched collapsed buildings for survivors five days after the disaster. A magnitude 4.6 aftershock rattled Caracas and La Guaira on Monday, deepening fear among survivors and complicating rescue work as the window to find people alive narrowed. The catastrophe has exposed severe gaps in Venezuela’s emergency response, with many residents digging through rubble using hand tools and paying for equipment themselves as a widening humanitarian crisis takes shape.