Satellite images show scope of devastation in Venezuela after dual earthquakes

Satellite photos showed the destruction in Venezuela left by two powerful earthquakes that struck Wednesday and left more than 1,400 people dead. The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck west of the capital Caracas just after 6 p.m. Wednesday and they were less than a minute apart. The earthquakes are the most powerful to hit Venezuela in over a century. Hard-hit was the state of La Guaira, which is along the country’s northern coast and north of the capital of Caracas. The images from Planet Labs PBC and Vantor show crumbled buildings and destroyed roads in the coastal cities of Catia La Mar, Macuto and Caraballeda. There was a race against time to rescue people still alive under the rubble of collapsed buildings. In response to the disaster, countries around the world, including the U.S., were mobilizing search-and-rescue teams and assistance was being pledged. The United Nations was on the ground and coordinating help from a global fund. The U.S. said it was committing $150 million to Venezuela for assistance and Pope Leo sent an initial donation of 100,000 euros. The phenomenon of two earthquakes of similar magnitude happening at around the same time and in the same area is known as a doublet sequence. The ruptures happened along a boundary between the South American and Caribbean tectonic plates.