Caracas [Venezuela], June 28 (ANI): The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) detected an earthquake of magnitude 5.6 off the coast of Venezuela.
The 5.6-magnitude earthquake impacted the waters off the coast of Aragua with the seismic event occurring days after the region experienced twin earthquakes that reportedly resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,500 individuals.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 30km
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Meanwhile, US Department of State’s Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, “By bringing international disaster response programs under the State Department, the U.S. government is able to respond more rapidly and more effectively to disasters. After the earthquakes in Venezuela, the U.S. immediately mobilized, activating urban search and rescue teams and the delivery of humanitarian and medical supplies.”
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Acting President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez thanked United Arab Emirates President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his condolences to the affected families.
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Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva expressed solidarity to Rodriguez on the face of the tragedy.
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Residents, meanwhile, have complained of a lack of organisation in the government’s recovery efforts, with the situation made worse by mobile and internet outages in some areas.
Several aftershocks and smaller quakes have been reported after Venezuela was hit by two major earthquakes on Wednesday, one with a magnitude of 7.2 and the other 7.5.
Rescuers are still on their toes to rescue possible survivors of those earthquakes. At least 1,430 people have been confirmed dead so far after Wednesday’s quakes. Another 51,000 have been reported missing, as per Al Jazeera.
Authorities have said that recovering survivors will become increasingly unlikely if they are not found within the first 72 hours after an earthquake strikes. Many people are believed to be buried under the rubble from collapsed buildings, and the death toll is expected to climb.
As per UNDP, the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 caused significant human suffering and loss of life, while also severely affecting livelihoods, infrastructure, and essential services. This includes a preliminary estimate of USD 6.7 billion in direct physical damage, equivalent to around 6% of GDP, according to a satellite-based Rapid Digital Assessment (RAPIDA) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). While the economic impact is substantial, the greatest loss is borne by the people and communities. (ANI)
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