Northern Venezuela has been plunged into a state of emergency after a rare and punishing seismic doublet struck the region on Wednesday evening, killing at least 164 people and leaving nearly 1,000 injured. In a geological event described by experts as both unusual and catastrophic, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake was followed just 39 seconds later by a magnitude 7.5 mainshock, compounding the destruction before emergency services could even mobilise.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed the sequence, noting that the events were distinct ruptures rather than a typical mainshock-aftershock pattern. The disaster, which has been labelled one of the most destructive in Venezuela's modern history, saw buildings in Caracas crack and collapse, trapping residents beneath rubble and overwhelming local hospitals.
