Two strong earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday, causing building collapses and leaving at least 32 people dead [2].
The disasters have crippled the nation's infrastructure and communication networks, complicating rescue efforts as officials said the total casualty count could reach thousands [2].
The U.S. Geological Survey identified the events as natural tectonic earthquakes [1, 2]. Reports on the exact magnitude of the two tremors vary slightly across sources. Telegraaf reported magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 [2], while StarNieuws cited 7.1 and 7.5 [4]. De Morgen reported the magnitudes as 7.2 and 7.4 [3].
The seismic activity was centered in northern Venezuela, with significant impacts reported near the Maiquetía airport [1, 2, 3, 4]. The tremors were powerful enough to be felt in the Caribbean islands of Aruba and Curaçao [1, 4].
Infrastructure damage has been severe. Venezuela has lost approximately one-third of its internet connections [3]. This digital blackout, combined with an overloaded mobile phone network, has hindered the ability of survivors to contact emergency services and relatives [3].
Emergency responders are currently navigating collapsed structures to locate survivors. While 32 deaths are confirmed [2], the scale of the building failures has led to widespread concern that the death toll will rise significantly as more areas are reached [2].
“Venezuela has lost approximately one-third of its internet connections”
The simultaneous loss of critical communication infrastructure and the occurrence of two high-magnitude tremors creates a high-risk environment for the affected population. The disruption of one-third of the internet suggests that the disaster has impacted primary data backbones, which may delay the coordination of international aid and the deployment of search-and-rescue teams to the hardest-hit northern regions.
