CARACAS — Two powerful earthquakes struck west of Caracas on Wednesday, leaving widespread destruction, trapping people under rubble and prompting fears that the death toll could run into the thousands.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded an initial magnitude 7.2 quake about 160 km (100 miles) west of Caracas, followed within a minute by a magnitude 7.5 tremor. Emergency teams worked through the night amid aftershocks, hauling survivors from collapsed buildings and treating the injured as distraught relatives searched for loved ones.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said at least 164 people had been confirmed dead and nearly 1,000 injured, with La Guaira state, home to Caracas’s airport, among the hardest hit. “Dozens of buildings have collapsed, and we are currently carrying out very intense rescue efforts,” she said on state television, describing La Guaira as a “disaster zone.”
The U.S. Geological Survey’s predictive modelling suggested a high probability the death toll could reach into the thousands, and an opposition-linked website tracking missing people listed more than 10,000 people as unaccounted for early on Thursday. Many residents were at home when the quakes struck during a public holiday, compounding casualty risks.
Residents described scenes of panic and damage across the capital as aftershocks continued. “When we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie,” one resident said, describing collapsed ceilings and people climbing over rubble. Footage from Maiquetia Airport showed dust and debris as parts of the terminal collapsed; airport closure has complicated rescue logistics.
International offers of assistance came quickly. President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin were thanked by Rodriguez for pledges of support, and the U.S. State Department said it was mobilising aid. The U.N. human rights mission urged authorities to lift local social media restrictions, calling information access “a matter of life and death.”
Search-and-rescue efforts faced infrastructure constraints after the quakes damaged hospitals, embassy buildings and the Venezuelan Red Cross headquarters. Authorities closed schools and repurposed the Caracas stock exchange to support relief work. Venezuela lies on a seismically active boundary where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate; historical quakes have caused major loss of life in the region.