Venezuela (MNN) — Two earthquakes struck northern Venezuela Wednesday night within a minute of each other, at magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5. The second quake was the most severe to hit Venezuela since 1900.
By mid-Thursday the death toll rose to 188 people, with thousands reported missing. Damages are especially heavy in the coastal region north of Caracas.
Annabel Torrealba serves as the International Director for Latin America and the Caribbean for TWR. She has been in steady communication with quake survivors.
“They say that the earth felt like it was moving up and down, and then when it got stable for a few seconds, then it was like moving like the ocean, like in waves,” she says.
The quake left people feeling dizzy and paralyzed.
“When they could move, they got out of the house, the buildings, and they stayed in the middle of the street, just waiting for the ground to get stable,” Torrealba says.
The elderly or disabled had to be helped out of their homes. People saw God’s providence right after the quake in being at the right place at the right time for those in need. “That’s the common description from many that I’ve been talking with: ‘I don’t know why I was there in that moment, but I was there, and I could help this person. I could take them to a safe place,’” says Torrealba.
Many countries are promising aid for Venezuela, but Torrealba says that it will take time. Rescue and recovery are currently hindered by a lack of heavy equipment for removing rubble. Also, the country’s main airport in Caracas had to be closed due to quake damage.
In the meantime, many survivors have endured the agony of waiting to hear from family members, as communication challenges persist due to power outages.
“After the earthquakes, they didn’t have power. Some of them could text and send messages. People were communicating with us until one in the morning [early Thursday], and then they ran out of batteries,” says Torrealba.
(Photo courtesy Radio Trans Mundial de Venezuela)
When the quakes hit, TWR’s team in Venezuela was at the office recording new content. Torrealba notes that Wednesday was a national holiday, so the team was working outside of normal business hours, “because they have so much passion for reaching the people in Venezuela.”
Pray for wisdom as TWR’s partners, RTM Venezuela, serve as witnesses of Christ on the long road ahead.
“The director is Gabriel Fernandez. Please pray for him that he can lead the team and do what God wants him to do during this time. Probably they have to switch some of their plans and go a different direction for a few months,” says Torrealba.
Pray also for God’s comfort and help to come to Venezuelans through the Church as well as through governments and NGOs.
“Don’t forget to pray for them, because in the first weeks many people are praying, but when it’s after a month or two, the prayers are less and less,” says Torrealba.
Header photo of Caracas, Venezuela is a stock photo courtesy of Bona Lee via Unsplash.
