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Hundreds confirmed dead has 2 massive quakes strike Venezuela * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh

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The initial death toll blamed on two massive quakes that struck Venezuela is 164, with nearly 1,000 injured, but many, many more people were missing and feared dead.

The 7.5 and 7.2 quakes knocked down buildings in Caracas, the capital, sending crowds racing into the streets.

Emergency responders confirmed “intensive rescue operations,” according to acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. is sending crews to help with search and rescue.

“We’re maybe already deploying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. There’ll be some others we’ll add,” he said.

There also were quakes recorded in Japan and northern California, and Franklin Graham, chief of the Samaritan’s Purse worldwide Christian ministry said, “Two powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela Wednesday evening, collapsing buildings in the capital of Caracas. At least 164 people were killed and more than 970 are injured, with those numbers expected to rise. The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes were less than one minute apart. Pray for rescue and recovery operations, first responders, and all who are injured or grieving lost loved ones.”

Rubio said, “The airport there is badly damaged, so we’ll have to rely on the Department of War to deploy assets there, and then we’re also helping them with some overhead imagery, especially in coastal areas where they don’t have full visibility over what the damage has been and what the impact has been.”

Newsweek confirmed “thousands more” are feared dead in the destruction.

The report noted, “The U.S. Geological Survey, which publishes data on natural disasters, warned there was a risk of more than 10,000 deaths from the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude strikes, which centered on Montalbán, a small town in northern Carabobo state.”

The quakes are the most powerful to have struck Venezuela in more than a century, and the impacts were felt more than 1,000 miles away in the Brazilian Amazon.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. is willing and able to help and stands ready.

Newsweek said, “Trump said America supported their ‘new and great friends’ in Venezuela, where the U.S military toppled longtime leader Nicolás Maduro in January.”

Schools and universities canceled classes so that their buildings could be used as shelters and images show massive structural damage in vast regions.

Rodriguez said, “Dozens ‌of buildings have collapsed, and we are currently carrying out very intense ‌rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to save.”

Offers of aid and supplies came from multiple other nations, including neighbors as well as from as far as Qatar.

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Bob Unruh

Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is currently a news editor for the WND News Center, and also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially. Read more of Bob Unruh’s articles here.


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