Venezuela's government declared a state of emergency after twin earthquakes Thursday as the death toll reached at least 164 and more than 970 people were wounded. La Guaira state was designated a disaster area with severe damage, and the Maiquetía international airport near Caracas was closed.
This afternoon (Thursday, 16:20 Jerusalem), Venezuelan authorities released an updated situation report on the aftermath of the twin earthquakes that struck the country earlier on June 24. The official death toll has risen to at least 164, with over 970 wounded. The government declared a state of emergency, and La Guaira state was designated a disaster zone after sustaining heavy damage.
The Maiquetía International Airport serving Caracas was closed due to significant structural damage, and both the Caracas Metro and suburban rail services were suspended. Rescue teams extracted three children alive from the rubble in La Guaira. Preventative evacuations were carried out in several areas including Lara state; severe damage was also reported in Aragua state.
The United States canceled its initial tsunami warning for the Caribbean region. The UN mission for Venezuela called for removing internet access restrictions to aid disaster response. Iberia canceled its Madrid–Caracas flight due to the airport closure.
As The Zioneer reported earlier, at least 164 fatalities had already been confirmed by the Vice President by 13:17 Jerusalem. This update adds the emergency declaration, infrastructure closure data, rescue details, and international response. The situation remains developing, with rescue and assessment operations ongoing.
4 developments
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