4.9-Magnitude Tremor Hits Northern Venezuela After Quakes Kill At Least 920

A 4.9-magnitude tremor struck off the northern coast of Venezuela on Friday, 61 kilometres (36 miles) northwest of Maracay, as the country reeled from two earthquakes on Wednesday evening that killed at least 920 people and left parts of Caracas devastated.

“A new earthquake has been detected off the northern coast of Venezuela, registering as magnitude 4”

Al Jazeera

The earlier quakes registered 7.2 and 7.5 on the nine-point Richter scale, and the US Geological Survey estimated that casualties could exceed 10,000, while at least 3,360 people were reported injured and more than 172 remained trapped beneath rubble.

Al Jazeera

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced restricted access to some of the areas hardest hit in the state of La Guaira, and residents organized to collect supplies and search for survivors.

AP reported that Venezuelans took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands on Friday, citing the scarcity of government rescuers as the human toll climbed to at least 920 dead and more than 51,000 missing.

Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said, “Each person saved is a miracle,” as he added, “We are not going to hide absolutely anything about the magnitude of this tragedy.”

In La Guaira, the epicenter of destruction, Venezuelan authorities announced they would block off access on Friday night, requiring official permits while providing few details about who would be allowed to enter.

AP described civilians digging through rubble while seeing few state rescue teams in areas hit hardest by the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes, and it quoted Nazareth Jimenez in La Guaira asking, “My God, how are we going to get them out of there?”

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NBC News said massive search and rescue operations were underway in Venezuela on Friday as civilians and emergency workers rushed to find those trapped beneath the rubble more than a day after the quakes, with Daniela Guerra describing the urgency of the first hours.

NBC News also quoted Guerra saying, “The first few hours were the most important,” and it added that volunteers asked for silence and yelled out, “Is anyone alive?” during searches.

The BBC reported that Jorge Rodríguez said the deaths had risen to at least 920, while it also quoted a mother saying, “I just want them back with me,” as her daughters, aged 22 and 23, were missing.

As international assistance accelerated, the BBC said the Inter-Agency Standing Committee warned that “This disaster comes on top of an already challenging humanitarian context,” urging the international community to act quickly by providing funding to scale up emergency relief.

The same BBC live updates described aid distribution on the streets in La Guaira and noted that countries including the UK, the US, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Colombia were sending specialized sniffer dogs to Venezuela with emergency teams.

Al Jazeera reported that the Venezuelan government loosened restrictions on social media platforms like X, which had been blocked in the wake of the disputed 2024 presidential election, allowing community members to share information about missing loved ones.

In Caracas and northern Venezuela, AP said the disaster posed a huge challenge for Delcy Rodríguez, acting president, as she said her government was mounting a full response during “critical hours for rescuing people alive.”

Al Jazeera quoted 25-year-old Jennifer Palacios saying, “We need them to bring cranes to move the slabs,” as she added, “There are still people trapped.”