Venezuela earthquakes toll rises to 589

The toll from the twin powerful earthquakes in Venezuela increased to 689 on Friday, The Guardian quoted the country’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez as saying. She said that 2,980 persons were injured.

However, a day earlier, the country’s health ministry had said that at least 4,300 persons had been injured .

The two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the South American country on Wednesday. Videos posted on social media showed several collapsed buildings and damage at the airport in the capital city of Caracas. Operations were underway to rescue persons trapped under the debris.

The La Guaira region near the capital was the hardest-hit, Rodriguez said.

The epicentres of both the quakes were close to Caracas, the United States Geological Survey said.

The first quake occurred at 6 pm local time at a depth of nearly 22 km. The second struck a minute later at a depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes tend to be more destructive.

The “doublet” earthquake was the most powerful to occur in the region in 126 years. There were several aftershocks.

The Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency and said that the Maiquetia airport in Caracas would close following “serious damage”.

Several countries, including India, offered assistance.

France, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and Mexico were among the countries sending specialists and rescue teams to Venezuela, AFP reported.

The US said...

Read more