Caracas, MINA – The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela’s northern coast on Wednesday has risen to 235, with more than 4,300 people injured, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado confirmed Thursday, according to Anadolu Agency.
Alvarado, speaking on state-run Venezolana de Televisión, said medical teams are working around the clock to cope with the crisis.
“Within the public health system, we have treated more than 4,300 injured individuals,” he said. “Tragically, this includes 235 patients who either arrived at our health facilities with no vital signs or passed away shortly after admission.”
The vast majority of casualties and severe injuries are concentrated in the coastal state of La Guaira, which serves as the main gateway to Caracas. The Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia remains closed indefinitely due to extensive structural damage. To handle the overflow of trauma patients, authorities have begun setting up makeshift field hospitals along the coast.
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The devastation was caused by a rare “seismic doublet”—a phenomenon where two high-intensity earthquakes rupture almost simultaneously. A 7.2 foreshock near San Felipe was followed just 39 seconds later by a 7.5 mainshock near Yumare. Seismologists have recorded at least 138 aftershocks since the initial quakes.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the tremors damaged at least 346 infrastructure sites, including 250 apartment buildings, 20 shopping centers, and eight regional hospitals. Emergency personnel were forced to evacuate patients from damaged hospitals to alternative clinics.
International aid has poured in. The United States has deployed military assets to assist with logistics and relief operations. Brazil is sending a military cargo plane with 36 specialized search-and-rescue firefighters and a fully equipped field hospital. Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia have also dispatched rescue teams and emergency personnel. Other nations, including Panama, Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay, have pledged financial aid and additional support.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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