Major Earthquakes in Venezuela Cause Extensive Damage and At Least 164 Deaths

The local government in Venezuela has confirmed that at least 164 people have died as of Thursday afternoon due to two of the most destructive earthquakes in a century. These earthquakes caused significant damage to numerous buildings in the capital and surrounding areas. On Thursday, residents were busy searching for their relatives amid the aftermath. On Wednesday evening, two earthquakes measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the western part of the capital, marking the largest earthquakes in Venezuela since 1900, according to geological experts.

Rescue workers and locals were seen climbing through dark rubble to locate survivors and extract those trapped under debris following the earthquakes. France, Spain, and the United States have offered to send emergency rescue teams. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the powerful earthquakes hit the western section of the capital on Wednesday evening. Authorities have stated that search and rescue operations are ongoing and the damage is extensive.

Given the seriousness of the damage, the death toll is expected to rise. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez reported at least 164 fatalities and more than 970 injuries. La Guaira state, located north of the capital Caracas, is the hardest hit area. At front of a collapsed building that buried his own family in La Guaira’s Catia La Mar city, 49-year-old Larry Rojas told AFP, “We have nothing left now; no electricity, no hope. We can’t even imagine entering the rubble for rescue. Aftershocks have been continuous.” Coastal towns are experiencing power outages, with many residents spending nights on the streets or actively searching for loved ones, according to journalists. The magnitude 7.5 earthquake on Wednesday was the strongest since a 7.7 magnitude offshore earthquake that struck Venezuela on October 29, 1900.