LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — Rescue crews and residents searched for survivors on Thursday after two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela the previous night, killing at least 188 people, injuring 1,520 others and leaving buildings collapsed across several communities.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck less than a minute apart on Wednesday night. Strong aftershocks continued on Thursday.
National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez said the death toll had risen to 188, while rescue operations continued in the hardest-hit areas.
In La Guaira state, north of Caracas, residents tried to rescue people trapped beneath collapsed buildings as emergency responders worked through damaged neighborhoods.
Residents said a young girl remained trapped under debris for several hours before she died.
In another part of La Guaira, residents reported hearing three people trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building.
A doctor at Domingo Luciani Hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said ambulances continued to bring in children rescued from collapsed structures. He said some children identified themselves, while others arrived wearing identification bands.
A rescue worker, who requested anonymity, said response efforts faced shortages of trained personnel and equipment.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez visited La Guaira after authorities declared the area a disaster zone.
AFP reporters witnessed residents looting a supermarket in the city.
Nicole Kast, director of the International Rescue Committee in Venezuela, described the situation as catastrophic.
Several countries, including Switzerland, Spain, France, Portugal and Mexico, dispatched rescue teams and specialists to Venezuela. China, India, Brazil and Iran also offered assistance.
Pope Leo XIV sent an initial 100,000 euros in aid, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States had mobilized $150 million in assistance.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed sympathy for the victims, and U.N. emergency relief chief Tom Fletcher said recovery efforts would require extensive international support.
Authorities closed the international airport in La Guaira after it sustained significant damage.
Officials from Italy and Portugal confirmed that one citizen from each country died in the disaster.
The earthquakes were felt across Colombia, where residents evacuated buildings in Bogotá, and in several cities in northern Brazil, according to Brazil’s seismic monitoring network.
Many residents in Caracas spent the night outdoors or in their vehicles after the earthquakes damaged buildings across the capital.
Rita Gomez, 60, traveled to Caracas after learning that the building where her daughter lived had collapsed.
She said heavy equipment had arrived at the site and neighbors were assisting rescue efforts as crews continued searching for survivors.