The death toll from the two earthquakes that shook Venezuela on Wednesday continues to worsen: 188 deceased, 1,520 injured, 157 missing, and 200 trapped under the rubble, as confirmed this Thursday by the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez.
The figures represent a significant increase compared to the balance that the acting president Delcy Rodríguez provided early Thursday morning, when she reported 164 deceased and 971 injured.
Jorge Rodríguez also detailed that the earthquakes left 2,927 affected families and 250 damaged buildings, with La Guaira being the hardest-hit area.
Eight hospitals and 20 shopping centers were affected, and 137 aftershocks have been recorded since the main tremors.
The two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 occurred on Wednesday at 6:04 PM local time, just 39 seconds apart, with epicenters in the state of Yaracuy.
The United States Geological Survey has classified them as the most powerful recorded in Venezuela since 1900.
The parliamentarian emphasized that the seismic movements have generated "a situation of severe impacts in important areas of the country, which has forced the acting president of the Republic, Delcy Rodríguez, to declare them as natural disaster zones."
La Guaira is experiencing the worst damage. Delcy Rodríguez described the situation as "a true tragedy," with dozens of buildings collapsed and rescue efforts ongoing.
The region also bears a tragic history: in 1999 it was devastated by mudslides—known as the "Vargas Tragedy"—that caused thousands of deaths in one of the worst natural disasters in Venezuelan history.
In the capital municipality of Chacao, the collapse of the 14-story residential building Petunia has left 12 confirmed dead by the mayor's office. Two other buildings also collapsed in the area.
The mayor Gustavo Duque stated that rescue efforts continue because "it is believed that there are still people alive" among the debris.
The images of the disaster left a lasting impression on the neighbors. "I feel a lump in my throat every time I see that the building is gone. I used to pass by here every day on my way home. I can hardly recognize the place," said Mauricio Contreras, a 35-year-old office worker, to AP.
Venezuela does not have a seismic alert system. The Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research only records seismic movements after they occur. Some citizens were able to evacuate thanks to prior notifications that Google sent to Android phones. "It gave us time to get out."
"It wasn't until we were already outside that we started to feel it," writer Pericles Sánchez told AP.
The United States Geological Survey issued a Red Alert —its highest level— and estimated, as part of an automatic probabilistic projection, that the final number of fatalities could range between 10,000 and 100,000 people.
The international response included an unusual diplomatic approach: Delcy Rodríguez publicly thanked President Donald Trump and his administration for their "support and solidarity," while Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the immediate deployment of search and rescue teams.
Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Qatar, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and the United Kingdom also offered assistance. Cuba, a historical ally of chavismo, was not among the countries that provided aid.
"Here we are asking God for my daughter and her children to appear," said Flor María González, whose daughter Dilinyer and her three grandchildren—ages 10, eight, and six—were trapped after the collapse of their building in La Guaira, with no news of them until this Thursday.
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