New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed deep sorrow over the widespread devastation caused by powerful earthquakes in Venezuela, affirming that India stands prepared to extend all possible humanitarian assistance to the Latin American nation. The disaster struck the north-central coast of Venezuela on Wednesday evening when two consecutive major earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, hit the region within a span of less than a minute, causing severe structural damage and infrastructure collapses across multiple states.
In a public message shared on the social media platform X, Prime Minister Modi extended heartfelt condolences on behalf of the people of India to the government and citizens of Venezuela, offering special sympathies to the families who lost their loved ones. He emphasized India’s solidarity with the affected population during this challenging period and stated that the nation is praying for the swift recovery of the hundreds of individuals who sustained injuries.
The catastrophic tremors, noted as some of the strongest to impact Venezuela in over a century, prompted Acting President Delcy Rodríguez to declare a nationwide state of emergency as search and rescue operations were deployed on a war footing. The initial casualty reports confirmed at least 32 deaths and 700 injuries, with officials warning that the toll is expected to rise sharply as emergency crews systematically clear debris from collapsed high-rise buildings, particularly in heavily impacted disaster zones like La Guaira and parts of the capital city, Caracas.
