Venezuelans are desperately searching through collapsed buildings after two powerful earthquakes struck the country, killing at least 188 people and leaving more than 200 others believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
Officials fear the death toll could rise.
The back-to-back quakes, measured at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, hit Wednesday evening and were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century. The shaking was felt across the region, with buildings reportedly evacuated as far away as Brazil’s Amazon.
At least 1,500 people were injured, and thousands more have been reported missing across the country.
Some of the worst destruction was reported in La Guaira, a coastal region north of Caracas. Officials said the area suffered heavy damage and casualties, while Venezuela’s main airport was damaged and forced to close, making it harder for aid teams to reach the disaster zone.
Across northern Venezuela, terrified residents ran into the streets as buildings shook. By Thursday, many were walking through dust, debris and twisted concrete, calling out for missing loved ones.
Children, animals and injured civilians covered in dust and blood were pulled from the rubble. Families cried outside destroyed homes, waiting for any sign that relatives might still be alive.
In La Guaira, retired schoolteacher Juan Alberto Mendaño said he climbed through wreckage and past a dead body when he spotted a trapped woman signaling for help with her hand.
“God, let them rescue her as quickly as possible,” Mendaño said. “When we heard the scream, there was nothing we could do.”
At another damaged apartment complex, residents shouted the names of missing people into the rubble.
“Mirna! Marquitos!” they called.
The disaster has triggered a massive rescue effort as emergency crews race to reach northern areas hit hardest by the quakes.
Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly and brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, gave updated numbers Thursday on the dead, injured and trapped.
Delcy Rodríguez said rescue teams were being moved from other parts of the country to La Guaira, which she described as a “disaster zone.”
“Dozens of buildings have collapsed there … and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” she said.
The region has suffered before. La Guaira was the site of a catastrophic 1999 mudslide considered one of Venezuela’s worst natural disasters. Thousands were killed, and rebuilding took years.
Rodríguez called on businesses to provide heavy construction equipment to help with rescue operations. She said search-and-rescue teams certified by the United Nations were also on their way.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the first quake, a magnitude 7.2, struck west of Moron on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast, about 105 miles west of Caracas. It hit at a depth of about 14 miles.
Just one minute later, a second quake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck about 10 miles southwest of Moron at a depth of about 6 miles, according to USGS.
Officials warned residents to stay outside and away from damaged buildings because aftershocks could cause more collapses.
In La Guaira, Cristian Carreño stared at his badly damaged apartment building, which was left charred and leaning to one side.
“I lost everything,” he said. “There are people still inside, I imagine, that couldn’t get out. It’s incredibly devastating.”
Another mother, Dayana Delgado, said she was desperate to find her 8-year-old son, who was missing after the quake. She pleaded for the heavy machinery officials had promised, saying neighbors were the ones digging through the rubble.
“I want to know where my child is, if he’s trapped or in a shelter,” she said.
In Caracas, hundreds of people spent the night outside in parks, parking lots and open spaces, too afraid to go back inside buildings that may have been weakened.
“We were afraid the buildings would collapse on us,” said María Cristina Díaz, a 41-year-old janitor. “My mother, my daughter and I were cold. We didn’t sleep a wink.”
“It was awful. We cried, we screamed. Thankfully, we’re alive,” she added.
Parts of the capital lost power and cellphone service, Rodríguez said. Subway service was suspended, natural gas was shut off, and classes were canceled for several days.
The Ministry of Education said some school buildings would be used as shelters and donation centers.
Families began posting missing-person flyers and sharing handwritten lists of names as they searched for loved ones. Venezuelans living abroad also struggled to reach relatives amid damaged communications.
The disaster comes at a fragile moment for Venezuela.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez took office in January after then-President Nicolas Maduro was seized by the United States in a surprise military operation. The country was already struggling with more than a decade of economic turmoil, and many Venezuelans reject the legitimacy of the political movement Rodríguez represents.
After the quakes, Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and said the government was creating a $200 million reconstruction fund for damaged hospitals and homes.
Help began pouring in from around the world, including from Qatar, Mexico and the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was “immediately” deploying search-and-rescue teams, medical resources and other assistance, though he acknowledged that the closure of Venezuela’s main airport was creating major logistical problems.
United Nations officials said international search-and-rescue teams were expected to begin arriving within hours.
Shortly after U.N. officials in Venezuela called on the government to lift social media restrictions so people could access potentially life-saving information, Venezuelans inside the country were reportedly able to access X. The site had been blocked by Maduro since August 2024.
As rescue teams move deeper into the disaster zone, officials are warning that the full scale of the tragedy may not be known for days.
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