President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif today expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives and widespread devastation caused by the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela.
In separate statements, they extended their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and conveyed sympathies to the Government and people of Venezuela during this difficult time.
The President and the Prime Minister said people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and share their grief.
It may be noted that strong back-to-back earthquakes hit hard Venezuela yesterday, killing 32 people and injuring hundreds. According to a report by MOIB, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160 km west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor.
The earthquakes toppled buildings, trapping people in the rubble. The interim President of Venezuela has declared state of emergency in the country.