Twin Powerful Earthquakes Strike Northern Venezuela, Emergency Declared

Topline

Two significant earthquakes hit the northern coast of Venezuela late Wednesday, just minutes apart, causing multiple building collapses and leading authorities to declare a state of emergency amid concerns over casualties.

Key Facts

United States Geological Survey data reports that a 7.2‑magnitude earthquake occurred at about 6:04 p.m. local time, with its epicenter roughly 16 miles from the city of San Felipe.

A subsequent 7.5‑magnitude quake struck less than a minute later, its epicenter approximately 19 miles from the same city, which has a population of about 220,000.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in a televised address, expressing condolences to families who have lost loved ones.

Rodríguez, who has been leading the country since the January capture of Nicolás Maduro, did not disclose specific figures for deaths or injuries.

The quakes caused several buildings to collapse, with damage and power outages reported in the capital, Caracas, located 200 miles from the epicenter.

This is a developing story.

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