Cúcuta, Colombia – A frantic search is under way for people trapped beneath the rubble after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, leaving scores dead and hundreds injured.
At least 164 people have been killed, although the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) predicts the toll could rise significantly as rescue teams continue to search collapsed buildings.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has declared a state of emergency and appealed to the international community for assistance.
In an early morning post on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was “immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela”.
Other countries, including Spain, Ecuador, France, Panama and Qatar, have also offered assistance.
Videos circulating on social media show collapsed buildings, residents in shock, injured people and others shouting for help.
“I could see the buildings shaking and moving. It was like the walls were exploding and you could see inside the apartments,” said Tulio Perez, a resident in Caracas. “It was completely crazy.”
Others who were inside buildings struggled at first to register what was going on.
“The fish tank started shaking violently, and one of the lamps was swinging extremely hard. Everything, absolutely everything, started moving,” said Billy Erbin, who lives in Caracas.
He spent the night in his car, after authorities warned residents not to go back inside buildings.
The first earthquake measured 7.2 and was centred near San Felipe in the state of Yaracuy. It was followed 39 seconds later by a stronger 7.5-magnitude quake, according to the USGS.
The earthquakes were the most powerful to strike Venezuela since 1900 and were followed by around 30 aftershocks.
The worst damage has been reported in parts of Caracas and La Guaira, where apartment blocks, homes and commercial buildings collapsed. Rescue workers, soldiers and volunteers worked through the night searching for survivors, while relatives gathered nearby waiting for news of loved ones.
Many residents spent the night in the streets, parks and their cars after being warned not to return to damaged buildings. Some said they were too frightened to go back indoors because of the risk of aftershocks.
Officials said people were still believed to be trapped beneath collapsed structures in several locations, raising fears that the death toll could continue to climb in the coming days.
Power and phone services were disrupted in many areas, leaving people struggling to reach relatives and friends. As communications gradually resumed, desperate efforts began to share information and photographs of those still missing.
Across WhatsApp and social media, images of missing loved ones circulated alongside appeals for information from families who had not heard from them since the earthquakes struck.
Some internet providers have also lifted a block on the social media website, X, which was banned in the country after protests in 2024.
Schools have been closed and are being used as temporary rescue centres, while authorities assess damage to roads, public buildings and other infrastructure.
Featured image description: A damaged building in Caracas following the earthquake.
Featured image credit: Julio Blanca.