FLASH
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Two devastating earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 hit Venezuela...
"Estimates of damage are preliminary and we still do not know how many people have lost their lives from the earthquakes," a statement from the Venezuelan Red Cross said, while the only official figure published is that of 32 dead and over 700 injured.
But according to a website set up by the country's leaders, more than 10,000 people are missing. The number of missing continues to rise by the minute.
The country's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, along with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodríguez, addressed the nation in a speech, officially declaring a state of emergency across the country. She also appointed a general to oversee emergency operations.
The deadly earthquake struck during a national holiday, an official holiday commemorating the historic military victory of 1821 that brought Venezuela independence from Spain. This means that most citizens were in their homes when the tremors struck.
Residents of Caracas remained on the streets for hours after the earthquakes, with many taking refuge in schools that have been converted into emergency centers.
It is worth noting that the second earthquake, which occurred just a few minutes after the first and had a magnitude of 7.5, was the most powerful that Venezuela has experienced in more than a century, according to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Rescue teams, who worked throughout the night in Caracas, are hearing the voices of people trapped under the rubble asking for help, Chacao municipality mayor Gustavo Duque said earlier.
"Fortunately, we hear people who are alive under the rubble. We will save everyone," Gustavo Duque said in a video posted on Instagram, adding that 23 people have been rescued so far.
"We will not leave here until we save the last person who can be saved, and I know that with God's help we will succeed," he stressed.
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