Venezuela declares emergency after powerful quakes collapse buildings

Powerful earthquakes have hit both Venezuela and Japan, with the ones in Venezuela triggering localised tsunami warnings and advisories across the region.

Buildings have collapsed across Venezuela after 7.5- and 7.2-magnitude earthquakes struck the country, with authorities warning that the full scale of the destruction is still unclear.

Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez has declared a state of emergency, saying the Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia suffered severe damage and has been shut down.

Rodriguez said schools have been closed, metro and rail services suspended, and all non-essential activities halted. She also ordered the activation of the military's General Staff under the commander general of the Bolivarian National Guard.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright joined growing international messages of support, saying in a post on X: "We send our deepest condolences to the families who have suffered loss and are wishing strength, safety, and a swift recovery to all impacted communities during this time."

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Washington was already coordinating assistance.

"The US stands with the Venezuelan people in the aftermath of this evening's devastating earthquakes. We’re in touch with the authorities and mobilising assistance," Landau wrote on X.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said his government had offered emergency support through the Foreign Ministry.

"300 rescuers and paramedics, along with 50 tonnes of equipment, medicines, and essential supplies, are ready to depart for Caracas," Bukele said in a post on X.

No tsunami warning in Japan

In Japan, no tsunami warning was issued. The epicentre of the quake was off the coast of Iwate Prefecture, at a depth of about 50 km, and no tsunami damage is feared, except for slight sea-level changes, the agency said.

The earthquake hit Aomori prefecture with an intensity of 6-plus, a situation where typically "it is impossible to remain standing or to move without crawling", on the Japanese scale of 0-7, it said.

Tohoku Electric Power said no irregularities were found at its Onagawa and idled Higashidori nuclear power plants following the earthquake.

East Japan Railway said it has halted some trains, including Tohoku Shinkansen high-speed rail services, after the quake.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. Japan accounts for about one-fifth of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

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Source: TRT