At least 188 people have been killed and more than 1,500 injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela in quick succession, causing widespread destruction across the country’s northern region and triggering a major humanitarian emergency.
According to Venezuelan authorities, more than 200 people remain trapped beneath collapsed buildings, while rescue workers continue search-and-rescue operations in affected communities.
The earthquakes, which struck late on Wednesday, severely impacted the capital, Caracas, and the neighbouring coastal state of La Guaira, where dozens of buildings collapsed, the New York Times reported.
Officials said at least 250 structures were damaged, with more than 100 buildings reportedly destroyed in La Guaira alone.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez described the disaster as a tragedy, saying emergency responders were engaged in intensive rescue efforts across the affected areas.
The earthquakes disrupted critical infrastructure, causing power outages, burst water pipes and widespread communication challenges.
Parts of Caracas remained without electricity on Thursday, while water services were interrupted in several northern states.
Authorities also suspended rail and metro services to facilitate rescue operations, while Simón Bolívar International Airport was closed after sustaining significant damage. Schools in affected areas were ordered shut for the remainder of the week.
The scale of the disaster was reflected in stories emerging from hospitals and rescue centres.
At the Universidad Central de Venezuela clinic in Caracas, relatives of 10-year-old Efraín Lucena said the boy had been rescued from a collapsed building in La Guaira and was in stable condition.
Family members said doctors were assessing severe injuries to one of his legs and considering whether amputation might be necessary.
According to relatives, the boy’s mother managed to pass him through a window to safety before becoming trapped in the rubble and dying. Another family member remained missing as rescue efforts continued.
Rescue operations have been complicated by Venezuela’s longstanding infrastructure problems, including unreliable electricity supply, deteriorating public services and limited healthcare resources.
Residents in some of the worst-hit communities reported digging through rubble themselves in search of survivors, citing a limited emergency response in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
In several locations, families and neighbours joined rescue efforts as they searched for loved ones trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
Experts said the impact of the earthquakes was intensified because the two tremors occurred within a short period of each other and struck an area with geological conditions that amplified ground shaking.
The United States Geological Survey warned that many buildings in the affected region were constructed with materials highly vulnerable to earthquake damage, increasing the risk of collapse and contributing to the high casualty toll.
The hardest-hit areas included densely populated districts of Caracas and La Guaira, where residential towers, commercial buildings and homes were reduced to rubble.
Authorities also expressed concern about informal hillside settlements, where structures are often more vulnerable to seismic activity.
International assistance has begun mobilising, with Venezuela announcing that rescue teams and humanitarian support are expected from several countries, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Qatar.
The death toll is expected to rise as emergency workers gain access to severely affected areas and continue searching for survivors trapped beneath collapsed structures.
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