Venezuela Earthquakes: 164 Killed, Over 27,000 Missing After Doublet Quakes

The death toll from powerful back-to-back earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday has risen to 164, president Delcy Rodriguez has said. More than 27,000 people have also been reported missing, with rescuers searching among huge mounds of rubble after the quakes west of Caracas on Wednesday afternoon. At least 900 people have also been reported injured after two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck within 39 seconds of each other. Venezuelans have described the scene in the country as “like a horror movie”, as emergency workers scrambled through the damage while dazed survivors were rushed away on stretchers. Meanwhile, families are desperately seeking help for their loved ones who are feared trapped. "We had to climb over the rubble and everything,” said Maria Alejandra. “The building superintendent with the baby and all the neighbors coming down. But from that building, I only saw that one family got out."

Interim president Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes caused building collapses in Caracas and forced the closure of the country’s main international airport. The US Geological Survey said there was a 44 per cent probability that fatalities could exceed 10,000.

On Wednesday evening just after 6pm local time, two earthquakes violently shook northern Venezuela. The first one struck near San Felipe, the capital of the state of Yaracuy. Just 39 seconds later, another quake struck near the town of Yumare, within 5 to 10km from the first one. Powerful ground shaking was felt across the region, including in Venezuela’s capital Caracas about 150km east of the earthquake epicentres. Buildings collapsed, and authorities report the casualty toll may be in the thousands.

The UN has warned that even before the earthquake millions of people in Venezuela were in need of humanitarian support. Tom Fletcher, under-secretary-general for UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said: “Even before these earthquakes, nearly 8 million people in Venezuela were in need of humanitarian support. This disaster risks deepening existing vulnerabilities. Sustained international support for humanitarian organizations responding on the ground is essential and urgent.”

More than 25,000 people have been reported missing in Venezuela and 164 have been killed. According to a website set up for Venezuelans to report missing loved ones following the earthquake, 26,781 people are currently missing. It also says more than 1,300 people have been located after being reported missing.

World leaders reacted Thursday with messages of solidarity and offers of assistance after two powerful earthquakes shook Venezuela, killing at least 164 people, injuring more than 1,000 and trapping many beneath collapsed buildings. Wednesday evening’s 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region.

The Netherlands on Thursday said it would send a rescue team to Venezuela after major earthquakes hit the country. It said it would allocate around 2 million euros to deploy the team with rescue workers, dogs and equipment.

The Foreign Office is monitoring the situation in Venezuela closely, Downing Street has said, saying the government "stands ready to support any British nationals" affected by the earthquake. It is understood the number of British nationals in Venezuela is in the low hundreds. Asked whether the UK plans to send any support or aid to the country, the prime minister's official spokesperson said: “The Foreign Office is obviously monitoring the situation closely, and we stand ready to support any British nationals 24/7. We can confirm that all UK staff in Venezuela are safe and accounted for, and clearly our thoughts are with the people of Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes which have caused so much loss of life and destruction.”

Venezuela was struck by back-to-back powerful earthquakes on Wednesday evening, which led to buildings collapsing in the capital, Caracas. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the first earthquake had a 7.1 magnitude, with its epicenter located west of Morón, a community along the country’s Caribbean coast, about 104 miles (168 kilometers) west of Caracas. Its depth was 8 miles (13 kilometers). The USGS reported an even larger 7.5-magnitude earthquake striking just a minute later. This second quake had a depth of 10 kilometers, and its epicenter was 10 miles (16 kilometers) southwest of Morón. These seismic events collectively represent some of the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.

US president Donald Trump has said initial reports from Venezuela following the twin earthquakes are “not good” and that the temors have “left a devastating number of deaths”. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths. We will be there for our new and great friends.”