Two Earthquakes Kill 32 in Venezuela; Rescuers Race 24-Hour Survival Window

Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, killing at least 32 people and injuring over 700, with most fatalities and collapses concentrated in the coastal city of La Guaira near Caracas. Rescue teams are working urgently against a well-documented threshold: research shows the overwhelming majority of live rescues from earthquake rubble occur within the first 24 hours, though individuals can survive longer in rubble voids depending on injury and air access. International aid mobilized quickly, though Venezuela's strained civil protection infrastructure—depleted by years of economic contraction—may slow response capability.