At least 164 people were killed, and 971 were injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, leaving rescue teams racing to find survivors in collapsed buildings and damaged neighbourhoods.
The earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck about a minute apart near the Caribbean coast west of Caracas. According to the US Geological Survey, the first quake hit at a depth of 22 kilometres, while the second occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres.
The back-to-back tremors sent people running into the streets as buildings shook across the capital. Some structures partially collapsed, and power and cellphone services were disrupted in several areas.
According to Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, the coastal state of La Guaira was among the hardest-hit areas, with numerous buildings brought down by the quakes.
"Dozens of buildings have collapsed there, and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives," Rodriguez said in a televised address on Thursday.
Rodríguez, who took office after former president Nicolás Maduro was captured in a United States military operation in January before being taken to the US to stand trial, said additional rescue teams were being sent to the area.
On Thursday, emergency crews and residents were still searching through the rubble for people believed to be trapped. Authorities subsequently appealed to private companies to provide heavy machinery to help clear debris and speed up rescue efforts.
Rodríguez declared a state of emergency on Wednesday evening and announced a $200 million (Sh25.9 billion) fund to help rebuild homes and hospitals damaged by the disaster. Several countries, including the United States and Ecuador, among others, have since offered assistance to Venezuela
“The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths. The USA stands ready, willing and able to help. I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly,” US President Donald Trump said on X.
“All my solidarity with the brother people of Venezuela. I have arranged for the immediate sending of humanitarian aid to address this emergency. Ecuador will respond with the speed and commitment that this moment demands because, despite the enormous differences, humanity must always guide the actions of a leader,” Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa added.
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