At least 164 people have died after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela minutes apart, triggering widespread destruction and frantic rescue efforts across the country, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Thursday.
Emergency crews continued searching collapsed buildings in the capital, Caracas, where trapped residents could be heard calling for help from beneath the rubble.
Rodríguez said the hardest-hit area was La Guaira state, north of Caracas, where dozens of buildings collapsed following the twin quakes.
“The situation is critical, and rescue teams are working around the clock to locate survivors,” Rodríguez said in a televised address.
The earthquakes, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck about one minute apart. The second tremor was the strongest recorded in Venezuela since 1900, according to seismic data.
The powerful shaking damaged homes, roads and public infrastructure across several regions, forcing thousands of residents to flee to open areas as aftershocks continued.
Authorities have not yet released a final estimate of those injured or displaced, but officials warned the death toll could rise as rescuers reach heavily damaged areas.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the scale of destruction suggests casualties could climb significantly, with thousands of people potentially affected by the disaster.
Search-and-rescue operations remain underway as emergency responders race against time to find survivors trapped beneath collapsed structures.
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