Death Toll Climbs to 164 Following Massive Twin Earthquakes in Northern Venezuela
Read more CARACAS — The confirmed death toll from yesterday’s catastrophic twin earthquakes in northern Venezuela has risen to at least 164, officials confirmed Thursday, as international rescue teams begin arriving to assist overwhelmed local emergency services. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced the updated casualty figures, which include at least 971 documented injuries. Civil defense authorities have explicitly warned that the fatality count is expected to rise sharply as heavy machinery and search-and-rescue K9 units clear structural debris in densely populated urban zones. A Uniquely Violent Seismic Event The disaster was triggered by a rare seismic "doublet"—two major earthquakes striking back-to-back in less than a minute. According to data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 7.2 foreshock was followed just 39 seconds later by a more destructive magnitude 7.5 mainshock. The epicenters were located near the coastal town of Morón, approximately...
