Venezuela in a state of emergency: Maiquetía airport closed
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, declared a state of emergency on Wednesday following two earthquakes measuring 7.5 and 7.2 that struck a central region of the country, causing unquantified material damage, with no reports of injuries or fatalities so far. 'We are declaring a state of emergency, as our Constitution provides,' Rodríguez stated in a broadcast on the state channel Venezolana de Televisión, accompanied by Parliament President Jorge Rodríguez and Interior and Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello. She also announced that the entire public and private health network has been activated, especially in the most affected areas to assist the injured, without specifying numbers. Rodríguez indicated that there would be no classes 'in the coming days' this week, nor any activities that are not 'essential services.' The president noted that there were building collapses in several areas of Caracas, as well as damage in parts of the states of Miranda, La Guaira, Falcón, and Carabobo, urging citizens to maintain unity and calm. Additionally, she reported disruptions in electricity and water services, and buildings with damage experienced cuts in domestic gas service. Metro and rail services were also suspended. Rodríguez announced that the Maiquetía International Airport, which serves Caracas, was closed after suffering severe infrastructure damage, though she did not specify the extent. The mayor of the Caracas municipality of Chacao, Gustavo Duque, reported possible fatalities in his jurisdiction, without providing a specific number. Two strong earthquakes shook the Venezuelan Caribbean on Wednesday with just 39 seconds apart, in a seismic sequence where the main event was a 7.5 magnitude quake, according to the official U.S. tsunami alert system. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center explained that both tremors constituted a 'double seismic event,' a phenomenon where two large magnitude earthquakes occur within seconds of each other in the same area, prompting official updates to identify the 7.5 magnitude quake as the main event.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
