Photo from USGS
On July 24th at 6:04 PM, two earthquakes struck the northern coastal region of Venezuela, toppling buildings and causing massive amounts of deaths and casualties. The first earthquake was at a magnitude of 7.2, while the second, occurring only seconds later, measured with a magnitude of 7.5. The second earthquake was Venezuela’s highest magnitude earthquake in over half a century.
The earthquakes heavily damaged the two cities of La Guaira and Caracas, the capital and largest city in Venezuela, with both cities being massive metropolitan regions. Venezuelan officials stated that over 250 buildings had been damaged or lost in La Guaira alone.
As of writing, it is reported that at least 1430 people have been killed and more than 3238 people injured by the two earthquakes.
In response, foreign aid has begun flowing in from countries all over the world. The U.S. announced it had mobilized $ 150 million in aid and began deploying personnel to respond to the disaster. Venezuela has had a rocky relationship recently with the U.S, most notably following the capture of former leader Nicolas Maduro by the U.S.
