Earthquake devastates Venezuela: 188 dead and 40,000 people missing

Two extremely powerful earthquakes, occurring in quick succession, have brought Venezuela to its knees, causing hundreds of buildings to collapse. The scale of the disaster suggests the worst: the first quake had a magnitude of 7.1, whilst the second was as high as 7.5. The consequences of this earthquake were made even more severe by the shallow depth of the epicentre, just 10 kilometres below the surface. And, above all, by the fact that the houses were built without any regard for earthquake-resistant standards.

The area hardest hit, apart from the capital, is the region west of Caracas. In particular, the rural province of Yumarè, a town of around 20,000 inhabitants, which remains completely cut off. The telephone network is down and communication is only possible via WhatsApp. It was the strongest earthquake in 126 years in this region, with tremors felt as far as 160 kilometres from the epicentre, on the border with Colombia.

Panic and despair among the people who lost everything in a matter of minutes, in the capital Caracas, as well as across a vast area in the west of the country. “The house was collapsing on top of us; it was like a horror film,” said a woman who escaped to safety by fleeing her home in Caracas, now reduced to a pile of rubble. “The explosion was terrifying,” added a neighbour.

According to a statement made by Jorge Rodríguez, Speaker of Parliament, at the end of the first day following the earthquake, the provisional death toll has risen to 188, but there are fears of a disaster on a far greater scale. A mayor from the town of Chacao, one of the worst-hit areas, admitted that there had been casualties, but did not provide any details. Seriously damage to the international airport which has suspended flights: in many areas of the airport the roof has collapsed, causing scenes of panic amongst passengers. Within minutes, telephone networks were overwhelmed by calls from millions of Venezuelans living abroad, anxious to hear from their loved ones. Gas supplies have also been suspended for safety reasons. Nearly 40,000 people are reported missing following last night’s devastating earthquakes. This is according to Sky News, which cites information from a website set up to trace missing persons and shared online via social media by Venezuelan opposition leaders. Many of the opposition leaders are currently abroad due to the ruling regime, but they continue to provide humanitarian updates.

People poured into the streets in a state of shock. Just three hours after the disaster, the acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, appeared on public television, visibly shaken, addressed the nation, declaring a state of emergency and calling for national unity: ‘After the first two tremors, we had 20 aftershocks. The situation is serious; many areas have been severely affected. My message now is to remain united and calm in order to save lives: all organisations have set to work.”