Source: CNN
Two major back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24. At least 1,700 people have died and more than 5,000 were injured, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said Monday.
CNN is tracking developments, with maps and satellite imagery.
The coastal state of La Guaira has been designated a “disaster zone” in the wake of the earthquakes. Twenty-nine percent of buildings in the state are thought to have been damaged, according to an analysis by Oregon State University, with coastal areas more affected.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the two earthquakes were a rare phenomenon called a “doublet.” This occurs when two quakes of a similar magnitude occur in quick succession, often causing more damage than a single event.
In this case, the larger 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck only 39 seconds after a 7.2 magnitude foreshock. This marks the largest recorded earthquake in Venezuela for more than a century.
Both of last week’s earthquakes were classified as “major” quakes, with aftershocks expected in the following days. So far, at least nine aftershocks with a magnitude greater than 4.0 have been measured, while other smaller quakes have also occurred as the tectonic plates have begun to settle. These have not caused any additional damage, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez has confirmed.
Large-scale rescue efforts are underway in La Guaira to find survivors who may be trapped under collapsed buildings. Satellite imagery from the state shows the extent of the damage, with many buildings tilted on their foundations or collapsed.
Countries around the Caribbean Sea are vulnerable to earthquakes because the region straddles the boundary of several tectonic plates, including fault lines that have produced major quakes in Haiti and Venezuela.
—CNN’s Avery Schmitz, Lauren Kent, Kasha Patel and Gonzalo Zegarra contributed to this report.