Venezuela hit by rare earthquake doublet, aftershocks and rising tolls

Dozens of aftershocks rattled Venezuela after a rare earthquake doublet struck the country’s north-central belt, with a magnitude 7.2 tremor followed 39 seconds later by a magnitude 7.5 mainshock. The strongest quake hit 16 kilometers southwest of Morón at a depth of 10.0 kilometers, a shallow rupture that left damaged structures exposed to fresh shaking.

At least 30 aftershocks followed, keeping pressure on buildings already weakened by the first two quakes and on rescuers working through rubble. Deaths were reported at more than 100, then 164 and 188, while injuries were put at 971, more than 1,000 and about 1,520 in different updates. Missing-person figures ranged from 157 in one count to more than 30,000 in others.

Every new aftershock can widen cracks in homes, topple unstable facades, disrupt hospital care, and slow searches for people believed to be trapped under collapsed concrete. Residents stayed out of buildings they no longer trusted, and emergency crews had trouble moving equipment, restoring power and reaching neighborhoods cut off by debris.

It was felt well beyond the capital, including in Brazil’s Amazon, where evacuations followed. The United States Geological Survey classified the event as a rare earthquake doublet, and USGS aftershock forecasts warned that larger mainshocks usually generate repeated secondary quakes over the following day, week, month and year.

Relief operations widened quickly. The Venezuelan Red Cross was responding to emerging needs, especially in La Guaira and Greater Caracas, while United Nations teams were rapidly deploying aid and rescue personnel. The U.S. State Department will mobilize $150 million in assistance for Venezuela and send urban search-and-rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles County, California, to help with the search for survivors.