Residents of areas hit by Wednesday’s two devastating earthquakes in Venezuela face a second night sleeping on the streets, as rescue teams race to find those still missing.
Residents whose homes were destroyed or suffered serious damage have nowhere to go, and many remain outside in the port city of La Guaira, the capital Caracas and neighboring regions.
The organization Doctors Without Borders reported on Wednesday that the population has gathered in public spaces and is unable to return home.
To prevent people from sleeping on the streets, local authorities are working to provide shelters in schools and baseball stadiums. Still, anxiety remains high among many residents.
“There is no type of service working in some parts of the city, especially in La Guaira,” said Halima Husein, MSF’s medical coordinator in Venezuela, in a voice message shared with CNN on Wednesday. “People are simply on the streets because so many buildings have collapsed.”
Earthquake in Venezuela
As shown by CNNa powerful earthquake shook the northern coast of Venezuela on Wednesday, causing buildings to collapse in Caracas.
According to the USGS (United States Geological Survey), the tremor had a preliminary magnitude of 7.5. It occurred just 40 seconds after a precursor tremor hit the region.
The death toll from the earthquakes rose to 235, said the country’s Health Minister, Carlos Alvarado, in an interview with Venezuelan state television on Thursday night (25).
According to the United States Tsunami Warning Centers, there was a possibility of dangerous tsunami waves occurring in coastal areas located less than 300 kilometers from the epicenter. The alert was canceled some time later.
The earthquake occurred 23 kilometers northwest of Yumare and 24 kilometers from the city of San Felipe. Some of the country’s largest refineries are located in this area.
