Two major earthquakes strike Venezuela minutes apart

Two strong earthquakes struck in the early hours of Thursday on the northern coast of Venezuela, west of its capital, Caracas. The first quake measured 7.1 while the second was recorded at 7.5, with only 40 seconds separating them. The country's president, Delcy Rodríguez, has declared a national state of emergency.

Several buildings collapsed in the country's capital from the tremors, and dozens of other buildings sustained significant damage. 32 were killed and 700 injured in the quakes and dozens of buildings collapsed in La Guaira, Rodríguez said, describing the event as "a true tragedy."

Venezuela's interior minister asked citizens to leave their homes over concerns about aftershocks that could cause additional buildings to collapse.

In her first remarks after the quakes struck, Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez announced that there were widespread disruptions to public infrastructure and classes were canceled at schools for the rest of the week.

Officials shut off domestic gas supplies in the affected areas, and water service was disrupted in parts of Caracas and several northern states, she said. There were power outages in Caracas and the state of La Guaira, but the grid remained functional in the rest of Venezuela.

Subway and rail services were also suspended for rescue and recovery efforts, and Simón Bolívar International Airport, which serves the capital, was closed after it suffered heavy damage, Rodríguez added.

Several minutes after the tremors, tsunami warnings were issued in several areas of the Caribbean Sea, including Puerto Rico and the British and American Virgin Islands, but were canceled shortly thereafter.

Separately, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake also struck the eastern coast of Japan around the same time, though no connection between the two events has been established.

The United States pledged assistance to Venezuela following the earthquakes. President Trump described the death toll as "devastating," adding that early reports "are not good," and said he has instructed all government agencies to prepare to move quickly. "The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help Venezuela," Trump said.

Deputy Secretary of State Landau said the US is in contact with Venezuelan authorities and mobilizing assistance, while Under Secretary of State for Foreign Assistance Lewin announced that search and rescue teams, along with medical and humanitarian supplies, will be dispatched to the country.