Due very violent earthquake shocks, a short distance from each other, hit the Venezuela around midnight Italian time, approximately 18 p.m. local time. The first was of magnitude 7.2 and the second of magnitude 7.5. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS) it was the strongest earthquake to hit the country since 1900.
The hardest-hit region in Venezuela is La Guaira, north of Caracas, where dozens of buildings have collapsed. Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, the country's main hub, located about 20 kilometers from Caracas, was also damaged. Rescuers across the country are digging through the rubble with their bare hands, searching for survivors. The toll, unfortunately only provisional for now, is extremely heavy: "We have 164 dead and over a thousand injured "We are in the hospital. The hardest hit state is La Guaira. There are dozens of damaged buildings. It's a real tragedy," said Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez. There are approximately 10 thousand missing people.
Farnesina: "Checks underway on Italians in Venezuela"
Talking on the phone with RaiNews24, the Italian ambassador in Caracas, Giovanni Umberto De Vito said that “At the moment there are no Italian victims".
After expressing his solidarity with the Venezuelan president, the Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, made it known that "the Crisis Unit of the Farnesina and the staff of the Italian Embassy and the Consulate General in Caracas are fully operational to verify the safety conditions of compatriots and provide any necessary assistance."
On its website, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "recommends Italians to pay particular attention, avoiding parking near damaged buildings and following the instructions of local authorities," the statement reads. "Damage has also been reported at Caracas International Airport, which is not operational. Telephone and internet lines have been disrupted throughout Venezuela," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues. "To report emergencies, the following emergency numbers are active: Italian Embassy in Caracas: +58 (0) 414 272 3600, Consulate General in Caracas: +58 (0) 414 210 1699, Consulate in Maracaibo: +58 (0) 424 662 6032, and Crisis Unit +39 06 36225."
Venezuela, Meloni: "Help and assistance for our fellow citizens"
Following the tragedy, messages of solidarity and support immediately poured in from around the world. Many countries—including Italy—said they were ready to help.
“Following with deep concern the consequences of the violent earthquake that struck Venezuela, I express on behalf of the Government, our deepest solidarity and closeness to the Venezuelan authorities and the population – wrote the Prime Minister Giorgia Melonon social media – The Presidency of the Council is in constant contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Civil Protection to promptly activate every channel of humanitarian aid and assistance to our fellow countrymen."
The Civil Protection Department has announced that it is already "working, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to prepare the departure of a team today advanced which, in coordination with the Venezuelan authorities, will prepare the arrival of a flight with operators from the Regional Health Services and the Fire Brigade, coordinated by the Department of Civil Protection".
Venezuela: Aid machinery kicks off
“We are already working with Ministers Crosetto and Musumeci to send the first aid supplies from Italy to Venezuela. Italy is ready to send personnel immediately "The Crisis Unit of the Farnesina, the Ministry of Defense, the Fire Brigade, and the Civil Protection Department will also be dispatched. Air Force planes will also be dispatched," Tajani wrote on X, stressing that "the Government will do everything possible to help the Venezuelan people and stand by the large Italian community living there."
L'European Unionhas already said it is "ready to mobilise assistance", through the civil protection mechanism, "should a request be received". "In the meantime - continues Brussels - to support the response, the Copernicus satellite system has been activated in emergency mapping mode. We remain in close communication with our humanitarian partners and stand ready to provide all necessary operational support." Germany and Holland they said they were ready to send aid.
The US “is ready, determined and able to help”, wrote the US president, Donald Trump, its Truth, announcing that he had already instructed government agencies to "move quickly." "We will be there for our new friends. The initial reports are not good!" Trump added. "There will be a full-government response. It will be massive, swift, and effective," the Secretary of State declared. Marco Rubio meeting with journalists during the mission he is leading in Bahrain, adding that the Pentagon will play a “critical logistical role”.
The site for reporting missing persons
The earthquake shocks caused serious damage to Venezuelan communications systemsA group of citizens then opened a website for help families trace their missing loved ones. The portal allows you to report lost contact with relatives and friends and notify them when a person is found safe and sound. The newspaper reports this. The National"Many families still have no news of their loved ones. If you can't contact someone, report it here. If you have found them, let us know, so their name can bring relief and not anguish," reads the message accompanying the initiative. In the first hours of activity, the platform recorded 9.721 reports. Of these, 9.166 are people who are still untraceable, while 555 have already been located and are safe.
The most critical situation is reported in the coastal state of La Guaira, where communications blackouts are making it difficult to obtain information on the extent of the damage. Meanwhile, photos of missing people and appeals from family members seeking news continue to circulate on social networks and messaging apps.
