At least 32 people have been killed and around 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela within less than a minute of each other, causing widespread destruction across the capital Caracas and several nearby regions.
According to Reuters, the twin quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, hit shortly after 6:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday while the country was marking a national holiday. With many families at home when the ground began shaking, authorities fear the death toll could rise sharply in the coming hours.
Emergency crews worked through the night searching collapsed buildings for survivors, as desperate cries for help were heard beneath the rubble in several areas of Caracas.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed the latest casualty figures and said rescue operations remained underway across affected regions.
The U.S. Geological Survey warned that the disaster could become far deadlier, estimating a 44% chance that fatalities could exceed 10,000 and a 30% probability that deaths could surpass 100,000.
Entire neighborhoods were left reeling after the powerful tremors reduced residential and commercial buildings to rubble.
In the northern Caracas suburb of San Bernardino, rescue teams combed through the remains of a collapsed apartment building that housed five families. Authorities continued efforts to determine how many people remained trapped.
In the municipality of Baruta, Mayor Darwin González said at least three people were killed when two buildings collapsed. Several others were rescued and taken for medical treatment.
Images from across the capital showed crushed vehicles buried beneath concrete, damaged roads, shattered storefronts and residents gathering in open spaces, afraid to return indoors.
On Venezuela’s northern coast, the destruction was equally severe. BBC Verify confirmed footage showing the complete collapse of the 10-storey Hotel Eduard’s in La Guaira, which was reduced to a mountain of debris.
The country’s main airport was forced to close after sustaining damage during the quakes. Video footage captured panicked passengers running through terminals as ceilings and infrastructure were affected.
Across Caracas, widespread power outages were reported and the metro system was shut down entirely.
The earthquakes were strong enough to be felt hundreds of kilometres away, including in Bogotá, Colombia.
Residents described scenes of confusion and fear as buildings swayed and electricity infrastructure failed.
Alan Chung, a teacher living in Caracas, said he was dining at a restaurant when the first quake struck.
“We ran outside and saw a cloud of dust rising into the air,” he told the BBC. “Power lines were exploding. People knew immediately this wasn’t a normal tremor.”
Although Venezuela regularly experiences minor earthquakes, Chung said this was the most severe event he had witnessed in years.
International Support Arrives
The United States has pledged immediate assistance to Venezuela.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that search-and-rescue teams, medical personnel and humanitarian aid were being mobilised for deployment.
“Our hearts are with all those who have lost loved ones, those injured, and the rescue workers working tirelessly in the aftermath,” Rubio said.
President Donald Trump also offered support, describing the disaster as “massive in scale” and saying U.S. agencies had been instructed to prepare emergency assistance.
Rodríguez thanked Washington for its offer of help, saying U.S. officials had remained in contact with Venezuelan authorities since the disaster struck.
As darkness fell across the country, rescue teams continued digging through collapsed structures in hopes of finding survivors.
Authorities are still assessing the full extent of the damage along Venezuela’s northern coastline and across multiple states, where reports of collapsed buildings and infrastructure failures continue to emerge.
With hundreds injured, critical services disrupted and many people still unaccounted for, officials warn that the true scale of the disaster may not be known for several days.
