The quakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region.
Caracas:
At least 164 people have died, and 971 were injured after a pair of powerful quakes rocked Venezuela, Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said Thursday.
The acting president had said earlier that at least 32 people had died after Wednesday evening’s 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, and that the toll was expected to rise.
The quakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region. Buildings were evacuated in places as far away as Brazil’s Amazon, about 1,700 kilometres (1,050 miles) from Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.
Also read: Google Warned Millions Before Quake Hit Venezuela. Can Your Phone Save You?
Footage on state TV showed three children, covered in dust but alive, pulled from the rubble in La Guaira state, which Acting President Delcy Rodriguez described as a “disaster zone” and the area hardest hit by Wednesday evening’s 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes.
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