Rescue teams and desperate residents searched for survivors on Thursday after two powerful earthquakes devastated northern Venezuela, killing at least 235 people and injuring about 4,300.
The twin quakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck less than a minute apart on Wednesday night, causing buildings to crack, collapse and lean dangerously. Strong aftershocks continued to shake the affected areas.
In the hardest-hit state of La Guaira, rescuers struggled with limited equipment as people trapped beneath the rubble called for help. Residents said a young girl who cried out for hours died before help could reach her.
“We need people…, military personnel, to come and help so we can get her out,” resident Dani Rizo, 48, said.
Elsewhere in La Guaira, residents heard three people trapped beneath a collapsed building.
“They’re still alive… There’s nothing more we can do,” resident Antonio Bermudez said. “We don’t have any tools. We have no way to help.”
A doctor at Domingo Luciani Hospital, who requested anonymity, said ambulances continued bringing in children rescued from the debris, many without relatives.
“Some children provide their names, while others arrive with identification tape on their arms,” the doctor said.
A rescue worker, speaking anonymously, said operations faced serious challenges because of a shortage of trained personnel and technical resources.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez visited La Guaira after authorities declared the area a disaster zone. AFP reporters also witnessed residents looting a supermarket in the city.
Countries including Switzerland, Spain, France, Portugal and Mexico dispatched rescue specialists and emergency teams to Venezuela. The United States announced it would send two warships, transport aircraft, helicopters and $150 million in aid.
“We have a whole-of-government response. It’ll be big, it’ll be fast, and it’ll be effective,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
China, India, Brazil and Iran also offered assistance, while Pope Leo XIV pledged an initial €100,000 in aid.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply saddened” by the disaster, while UN aid chief Tom Fletcher described the response as requiring “massive collective efforts.”
The international airport in La Guaira remained closed after sustaining severe damage, complicating relief operations.
Authorities confirmed that two Brazilians, two Chinese nationals, one Italian and one Portuguese citizen were among those killed.
The earthquakes were also felt in Colombia and northern Brazil, prompting evacuations in some areas. In Caracas, many residents spent the night sleeping outdoors or in their vehicles after fearing further collapses.
The 7.5-magnitude quake was the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900 and the country’s most powerful earthquake in more than a century.