The death toll from the devastating earthquake that struck Venezuela’s capital region has climbed past 235, with rescue workers scrambling through the wreckage of Caracas’s crumbling suburbs. The 7.3 magnitude quake, which struck in the early hours of Thursday morning, has left entire neighbourhoods in ruins. Thousands are feared trapped beneath collapsed buildings in the densely populated municipalities of Baruta, Chacao, and Sucre, where makeshift homes built on hillsides have slid into ravines.
Local hospitals are overwhelmed. Morgues have run out of space. Survivors wander through streets littered with shattered concrete and twisted metal, searching for loved ones. The government has declared a state of emergency, but rescue efforts are hampered by blocked roads and damaged infrastructure. President Nicolás Maduro has appealed for international aid, but with the country already in the grip of a severe economic crisis, the capacity to respond is limited.
The quake’s epicentre was near the coastal state of Miranda, but the worst damage is concentrated in the barrios that cling to the mountainsides around Caracas. These informal settlements, home to millions of poor Venezuelans, were built without proper foundations. Many collapsed instantly. One resident, Maria Elena Rojas, told reporters that she heard a roar like a freight train before her building swayed and fell. “I lost my three children,” she said. “There is nothing left.”
The disaster compounds Venezuela’s existing humanitarian catastrophe. Hyperinflation has made food and medicine scarce. Power outages are frequent. Now, survivors face the twin horrors of aftershocks and looting. The government has deployed troops to maintain order, but many citizens say they have been left to fend for themselves. The international community is being called upon to provide search-and-rescue teams, heavy lifting equipment, and medical supplies. But with diplomatic tensions high, aid may be slow to arrive.
This tragedy exposes the fragility of life in a country where the state has collapsed. The rich were able to flee years ago. Those left behind are the poorest, the most vulnerable. They now lie buried under rubble. As the sun sets on Caracas, the sounds of sirens and wailing fill the air. The full scale of this disaster will take days to unfold. But one thing is clear: the poorest have paid the highest price.
