188 Deaths, Thousands Missing

Venezuela was hit by two powerful earthquakes of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude within seconds on Wednesday, causing widespread destruction in Caracas and northern regions. Many buildings collapsed and power and communication services were severely affected.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez confirmed at least 188 deaths and 971 injuries. Rescue teams are working to find people trapped under rubble, and the death toll is expected to rise. The US Geological Survey (USGS) warned of heavy casualties as both quakes were very shallow.

India has decided to extend help. The government is preparing to send a special NDRF team for relief and rescue operations.

Google sent earthquake alerts to users a few seconds before the tremors through its Android earthquake detection system.

The earthquakes occurred due to the movement of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates in a seismically active zone.