Venezuela shaken by deadly earthquakes; Canada preparing aid
Two quakes measuring 7.1 and 7.5 struck near Caracas on June 24, killing at least 164 people and collapsing buildings across the region.
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Two major earthquakes struck Venezuela's coast Wednesday, killing at least 164 people and prompting Canada to prepare humanitarian assistance.
On June 24, earthquakes measuring 7.1 and 7.5 in magnitude occurred near the Venezuelan coast west of Caracas, occurring a minute apart. The most affected area was the city of La Guaira, north of Caracas, where several buildings collapsed. Caracas Airport remains closed until further notice. Authorities are warning of additional aftershocks that could cause further damage to infrastructure and disrupt access to essential services.
Wednesday's earthquakes were the worst since a 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck Caracas in 1967, which killed over 200 people. The Government of Canada updated its Venezuela travel advisory due to the quakes and continues to advise Canadians to "avoid all" travel to Venezuela, citing security risks, political and economic instability, violent crime, the possibility of arbitrary detention, and shortages of medication, gasoline, and water.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said: "On behalf of Canadians, I offer my sincere condolences to the loved ones of those who were lost. My thoughts are with everyone who has been injured or displaced and with the first responders working tirelessly to save lives." He added that Canada is preparing humanitarian assistance to support Venezuelans.
