Twin earthquakes kill 164 in northern Venezuela, trigger tsunami warnings

Two major earthquakes struck northern Venezuela 39 seconds apart on Wednesday evening, killing at least 164 people and injuring 971 as buildings fell in Caracas and La Guaira and a Caribbean tsunami threat message spread to Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said rescue teams were racing to people trapped beneath rubble, while Maiquetía International Airport, which serves Caracas, was affected during the response.

The first quake measured magnitude 7.2, and the second 7.5. The U.S. Geological Survey placed the larger shock 16 km southwest of Morón at a depth of 10.0 km, and the Global Earthquake Model Foundation classified both events as large strike-slip earthquakes that hit northwestern and central Venezuela in rapid succession. Scientists are still sorting whether the pair was a rare earthquake doublet or two neighboring fault segments rupturing almost together. USGS ground-failure products also flag landslides and liquefaction as hazards after major quakes around La Guaira and Caracas.

Marco Rubio said the U.S. was sending search-and-rescue teams, and the United Nations is coordinating the rapid deployment of urban search-and-rescue teams through INSARAG as Rodríguez said United Nations-certified specialist rescuers were also on the way. She also urged health care professionals to report to hospitals, and at least 20 aftershocks followed. The U.S. Tsunami Warning Centers issued a threat message for Venezuela and potential threats for nearby islands. Advisories and warnings can be updated or canceled as more seismic and water-level data come in.