Earthquake: Venezuela militarizes disaster region after earthquake

On the second day after the earthquake catastrophe, the official death toll in Venezuela is 920, as Rodríguez announced when presenting the latest preliminary loss assessment. More than 3,300 people were injured. La Guaira was hit hardest by the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on Wednesday (local time).

The state, where Venezuela’s international airport and main seaport are located, has been declared a disaster area. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on Thursday that more than 70,000 families were affected by the consequences of the disaster.

Back in December 1999, La Guaira was hit by one of the worst natural disasters in modern Latin American history. Mud and debris avalanches triggered by heavy rainfall killed up to 30,000 people, according to estimates by the US Geological Survey (USGS).