Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday declared a nationwide state of emergency after two powerful earthquakes and a series of aftershocks rocked the country, causing widespread damage, collapsing buildings and prompting fears of significant casualties.The earthquakes, which struck within a minute of each other, left several building destroyed, forcing the closure of Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía due to infrastructure damage and prompting authorities to cancel classes for several days.While acknowledging fatalities, she did not provide an official death toll or specify the number of injured.More than 20 aftershocks have been recorded since the initial earthquakes, raising concerns about further structural damage and complicating rescue operations.USGS estimates death tollAccording to the US Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck about 160 kilometres (100 miles) west of Caracas on Wednesday afternoon. Less than a minute later, a stronger magnitude 7.5 quake hit the same region.The USGS warned that “high casualties and extensive damage are probable” and said the disaster was likely to be widespread. Initial estimates suggested the death toll could potentially range from 10,000 to 100,000 people.Airport closed after infrastructure damageThe Maiquetia International Airport, located near Caracas, would close following “serious damage” to its infrastructure, Delcy Rodriguez said, while addressing.The airport shutdown is expected to disrupt domestic and international travel as engineers assess the extent of the damage and begin repair work.Emergency teams have been deployed across affected areas as authorities search for people trapped beneath collapsed buildings and assess damage to critical infrastructure.The mayor of Caracas’ Chacao district informed that rescue operations are underway, with authorities searching through damaged buildings and warning that casualties could rise.
