Pacific's Ring of Fire trembles: Venezuela hit by twin quakes, US and Japan also shake

Venezuela was devastated by a twin earthquake event, with two major tremors measuring 7.5 and 7.2 magnitude striking just 39 seconds apart. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported the consecutive quakes, with the epicenter of the larger one located 23 kilometers southeast of Yumare and the second near San Felipe. The depths were recorded at 10 kilometers and 21.9 kilometers, respectively.

Tragically, the earthquakes claimed the lives of 188 people and left more than 1,520 injured. Authorities fear that hundreds more may be trapped beneath the debris, and the casualty figures are expected to rise as recovery efforts progress. The earthquakes occurred during a public holiday, meaning more people were likely at home, potentially increasing the number of casualties.

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In this sad day, we stand with our Venezuelan friends.

In response to the catastrophic event, Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency across the country. The United Nations has issued an urgent appeal for international support for Venezuela as it confronts this devastating natural disaster. The tremors were also felt in neighboring Colombia.

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The Turkish people extend their get-well wishes, and Turkey will continue to provide assistance.

Experts, like Prof. Dr. Şener Üşümezsoy, described the event as a consecutive fault rupture, where the initial 7.5 magnitude quake triggered the second. He drew parallels to similar sequential fault ruptures seen in the 1999 Marmara and February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, attributing the Venezuelan quakes to the movement between the Caribbean and South American plates, exacerbated by soft ground conditions contributing to the destruction.

Meanwhile, earthquakes also shook other parts of the world. A 5.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Redwood Valley region of California, USA, and a 6.9 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey extended condolences and solidarity to Venezuela, and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke with his Venezuelan counterpart to offer support and gather information on aid needs. Turkey pledged to provide assistance.

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The sequential earthquakes in Venezuela, measuring 7.5 and 7.2 magnitude 39 seconds apart, occurred as the first rupture triggered the second.