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Official balance and independent estimates

Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.1 and 7.5 shook Venezuela on Thursday, leaving a provisional toll of 188 dead and 1,520 injured, according to Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly. Around 2,000 families lost their homes. The first tremor occurred at a depth of 20 km; the second, stronger, only 10 km away.

An independent civil initiative estimates that the missing people could reach 40,000. The government has not validated that figure. The coastal area of ​​the state of La Guaira and the west of Caracas were the most affected.

“Everything was falling on us. It looked like a horror movie. It lasted about two minutes,” a resident told the local press.

International response and solidarity

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency, closed schools and courts, and mobilized all health personnel. Communications and the airport are collapsed; many bridges were damaged.

International help arrived quickly: rescue teams from the United States, the European Union, Türkiye and Mexico. The IMF allocated 200 million euros for reconstruction. Italy will send firefighters and civil protection.

The lack of supervision in construction—few projects meet anti-seismic standards, without urban planning—would have aggravated the damage, according to local complaints. Venezuela is located on the fault between the Caribbean and South American plates, an area of ​​high seismic risk.

Citizen report after the earthquakes in Venezuela

An open source platform, driven by civilian volunteers, has recorded as of Thursday afternoon 204 total building collapses, 216 with serious structural damage and 298 with partial damage. The information comes from the site earthquakevenezuela.com.

The damage is mainly concentrated in La Guaira and the east-north of Caracas. The tool allows you to collaboratively document damage in homes, hospitals, schools and businesses.

The news outlet El Bus TV validated the initiative by broadcasting it publicly this Thursday and confirmed the responsible actions of the activists. Journalist Tony Frangie Mawad endorsed the open data map, highlighting its usefulness in assessing the extent of infrastructure damage.

These citizen actions complement official efforts in the face of the emergency. The authorities have momentarily reported 188 deaths and some 2,000 homeless families, although it is estimated that the numbers will increase. The platforms continue to receive reports to locate affected people and coordinate humanitarian aid.

The collaboration of the population is key to evaluating the magnitude of the crisis. Tools like earthquakevenezuela.com provide updated information on the hardest hit areas.

Rescue in La Guaira after the earthquake

Early Thursday morning, a double earthquake shook the Vargas state, in Venezuela. In La Guaira, a coastal town 20 kilometers north of Caracas, search teams worked tirelessly among the rubble.

The first survivor to emerge was a child, thin and covered in dust. Shortly after, a young woman managed to say: “There are three of us.” And so it was: a teenager emerged with difficulty. Three brothers, apparently unharmed, were pulled from a crack in what remained of a home.

The video of the rescue was recorded by Mario Ruiz, a neighbor who participated in the tasks. “God, you are merciful,” he exclaimed when he saw them safe. The images went viral on social networks as a symbol of hope.

“Look, we just saved a child,” is heard at the beginning of the video. The little boy, about six or seven years old, emerges from the wreckage. Behind him, his older sister climbs with help. “Are they brothers?” they ask. “Yes, there are three of us,” she replies. The third, the oldest, manages to get out without visible injuries.

The children’s father, exhausted and sweaty, only nodded when asked if his son was there. An older rescuer calmed him: “Let’s go step by step. Help is on the way. You must have faith.”

Hope after tragedy

La Guaira has about 40 thousand inhabitants, although the actual census will be uncertain until the dust settles. The night was long; Rescuers are still searching for more survivors. The miracle of these three brothers keeps hope alive.