Venezuela dismisses tsunami risk after earthquakes

Venezuelan authorities have moved to quell public fears of a tsunami following a series of earthquakes and aftershocks that have shaken the nation. The Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research (Funvisis), in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace, declared on Sunday that the tremors recorded after the June 24 earthquakes pose no tsunami risk to the Central Coast.

Funvisis characterized circulating reports of an imminent threat to La Guaira as "malicious rumors" intended to sow panic and disrupt ongoing rescue and recovery efforts. The foundation explained that secondary seismic events since the main June 24 quake have been below magnitude 7.0 Mw, insufficient to generate a tsunami. They clarified that tsunami formation requires vertical displacement of the seabed, but the fault systems in La Guaira and the Central Coast are strike-slip, meaning the movement is horizontal, without significant vertical shifts.

In a separate update, the government reported that the death toll from the June 24 earthquakes has risen to at least 4,490, with 16,740 injured. National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez stated that 120,794 families have received assistance, and 19,583 people are housed in 108 temporary camps, primarily in schools in Caracas, Miranda, and La Guaira, the most affected region. Authorities have distributed nearly 10,000 tons of food and over 18 million liters of water to those impacted. The government reiterated its call for calm, urging citizens to rely solely on official information and to avoid spreading false rumors that hinder recovery operations.