New York(National Times)- Powerful twin earthquakes that shook Venezuela killed at least 32 people and injured more than 700, interim president Delcy Rodriguez said on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt this time, we have received reports of 32 deaths\u201d and \u201cmore than 700 injured,\u201d Rodriguez said in an address to the nation, adding she did not yet have data on the \u201chardest-hit region\u201d of La Guaira, located near the capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Venezuela\u2019s interim leader had earlier declared a state of emergency as two massive earthquakes caused buildings in the capital to crumble and forced the closure of the country\u2019s main airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160 km (100 miles) west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHigh casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,\u201d the USGS said, initially estimating the death toll would most likely range from 10,000 to 100,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local officials and witnesses reported collapsed buildings, rescues and a growing number of injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have buildings, homes and houses which have collapsed and we are taking care of things with everything we have available in terms of security, civil assistance,\u201d Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on state television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe fire department, police all have been activated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Video footage showed emergency workers climbing through the ruins of a collapsed building in the capital as night fell, while distraught relatives sought help for loved ones believed to be trapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Chacao, an eastern Caracas municipality, Mayor Gustavo Duque told broadcaster Globovision that two structures had collapsed, 16 people were injured and there were deaths, though he gave no figure for fatalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to do everything we can to rescue the most people possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was \u201cdeeply saddened by the devastation and loss of life\u201d caused by the quakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn behalf of the people of Pakistan, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Venezuela, especially the families of the victims. We pray for the injured and stand in solidarity with all those affected during this difficult and challenging time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Asif Ali Zardari has also expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives and widespread devastation caused by the quakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zardari said that \u201cthe people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and share their grief. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the disaster and for strength and resilience for all those affected,\u201d according to a statement from the Presidency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many Venezuelans were at home when the quakes struck during a public holiday marking an 1821 military victory that helped secure the country\u2019s independence from Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming,\u201d said Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEveryone was running down the stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Residents across Caracas, which was also hit by a deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake in 1967, rushed to evacuate as buildings shook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I\u2019ve never experienced anything like it,\u201d said Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner in southern Caracas, said police helped her get out of her home. \u201cThis earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another resident, a 41-year-old office worker who declined to be named, said she received an earthquake alert on her phone just before the shaking intensified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a normal afternoon, and suddenly my phone sounded an earthquake alert,\u201d she said. \u201cAs I picked it up and started listening to what it was saying, I first felt light shaking. Then, in less than two seconds, everything started moving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interim President Rodriguez has been running the country since the US ouster of President Nicolas Maduro in January<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She has hailed a new era of cooperation with the US and other countries, especially on oil, mining and other industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The US embassy in Caracas said it was closely monitoring the aftermath of the quake and urged citizens in the country to seek secure shelter and avoid damaged areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n US President Donald Trump said the two earthquakes had \u201cleft a devastating number of deaths,\u201d without citing any official casualty figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths,\u201d Trump said in a post on Truth Social.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly. We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fire trucks were seen on the streets of Caracas, where some buildings suffered significant facade damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Caracas\u2019 Hospital de Clinicas, staff were asked to double up on the night shift to help treat the injured, a worker there said. Video filmed at the hospital showed a darkened hallway with ceiling panels hanging by cables and pieces of plaster scattered across the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other videos on social media appeared to show significant damage at Venezuela\u2019s main airport, while residents reported collapsed buildings in La Guaira, a coastal city near Caracas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Hospitals brace for the injured<\/h2>\n\n\n\n