Caracas, 26 June (H.S.):

A powerful earthquake has caused widespread devastation across Venezuela, leaving the country reeling from two strong tremors that struck within just 40 seconds. Fear of continued seismic activity continues to grip residents. At least 235 people have been killed and more than 1,500 injured in the disaster so far.

The first earthquake, measuring magnitude 7.2, was felt across Venezuela and other parts of the Caribbean. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a second and stronger magnitude 7.5 tremor struck less than a minute later.

According to reports by Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional, El País USA and Al Jazeera, rescue teams are continuing operations to locate and rescue survivors trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings. Venezuela has also received multiple offers of international humanitarian assistance.

The USGS has warned that the death toll could eventually rise into the thousands. The agency also cautioned that significant aftershocks remain highly likely, estimating a nearly 30 per cent probability of aftershocks exceeding magnitude 6.0 on the Richter scale.

The USGS Automated Hazard Assessment System has also issued warnings of potential landslides and soil liquefaction. According to the agency's assessment, there is a 42 per cent probability that the final death toll could range between 10,000 and 100,000. The estimated economic losses could reach between USD 10 billion and USD 100 billion.

Venezuela is one of the world's most seismically active regions, located along the boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, which move in nearly opposite directions and generate significant seismic stress. Both earthquakes occurred near the Boconó Fault, one of the country's most active and dangerous fault systems.

According to the Venezuelan Seismological Research Foundation, nearly 80 per cent of the country's population lives in high seismic risk zones.

The country's most destructive modern earthquake struck Caracas in July 1967, killing about 240 people and causing the collapse of several high-rise residential buildings. Since 1900, Venezuela has experienced five earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater in its northern region or along its coastline. Earlier, the devastating 1812 earthquake claimed an estimated 30,000 lives, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has announced the launch of an emergency logistics operation, dispatching an initial shipment of at least 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Venezuela.

Major airlines from the United States and Europe, including Iberia, Air Europa, Copa Airlines, Avianca and LATAM, have indefinitely suspended flights to Caracas.

The United States has reaffirmed its support for Venezuela, stating that the administration of President Donald Trump has prioritised cooperation in search-and-rescue operations. Natalia Molano, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department's Spanish-language office, said that within hours of the disaster, the White House had initiated a coordinated response involving multiple federal agencies to mobilise emergency resources for Venezuela.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar