A Night of Tremors
On June 24, Venezuela was struck by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. The tremors centered near the coastal city of La Guaira, where the historic Hotel Eduard's, a landmark building, gave way to dust and rubble.
The hotel had been turned into temporary housing for the families of the Delfines baseball team, a professional club that had been preparing for the upcoming season. Wives, children and relatives of the players were among those staying there when the building collapsed, trapping dozens beneath concrete and steel.
Rescue teams faced a race against time. Aftershocks continued to shake the region, hampering the work of engineers and volunteers, while the lack of specialized equipment slowed the removal of debris. Families clung to hope as search dogs and manual labor tried to locate survivors.
Among those who escaped the disaster was Jenrry Mejía, a former New York Mets pitcher who had been staying at the hotel with his family. He managed to exit the building moments before it fell, later recounting the narrow escape to local media.
Other members of the baseball community were also present. Players such as Gorkys Hernández, Eliézer Alfonzo, Jesús Guzmán, Manuel Rodríguez and Harold Chirino had gathered with their loved ones in the hotel, making the tragedy a stark reminder of the personal toll behind the sport.
A Community in Crisis
The Liga Mayor de Béisbol Profesional, the top Venezuelan baseball league, announced the immediate suspension of its season. The decision was taken to redirect resources toward relief efforts and to allow authorities to focus on the emergency response.
Officials estimate that more than 1,700 people have died and that roughly 44,000 remain unaccounted for. The death toll could climb beyond 10,000, making these quakes among the deadliest in modern history for the country.
International aid has begun to arrive, but the scale of the disaster continues to overwhelm local capacities. The affected areas, including La Guaira, Caracas and the nearby town of Macuto, are grappling with power outages, damaged infrastructure and a humanitarian crisis that unfolds day by day.
As rescue workers comb through the wreckage, the nation mourns the loss of countless lives and looks toward recovery. The earthquakes have not only shaken the ground but also the fabric of a community that now faces a long road to rebuilding.