Venezuela is grappling with a devastating humanitarian crisis after two powerful earthquakes struck the country’s northern region within a short interval, leaving at least 188 people dead and more than 1,500 others injured.
Authorities confirmed that over 200 people are still believed to be trapped beneath collapsed buildings as emergency teams race against time to locate survivors in the worst-hit areas.
The twin earthquakes, which occurred late Wednesday, caused extensive destruction across the capital, Caracas, and the neighbouring coastal state of La Guaira. Hundreds of buildings were either damaged or reduced to rubble, with officials reporting that more than 250 structures were affected and over 100 buildings completely destroyed in La Guaira alone.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez described the disaster as one of the country’s worst in recent years, saying rescue workers were carrying out intensive operations despite significant logistical challenges.
The powerful tremors crippled key infrastructure, triggering widespread power outages, ruptured water pipelines and communication disruptions. Large sections of Caracas remained without electricity on Thursday, while water supplies were interrupted across several northern states.
Authorities suspended metro and rail services to support emergency operations, while Simón Bolívar International Airport was shut after sustaining structural damage. Schools in the affected regions were also ordered closed for the remainder of the week.
Hospitals have continued to receive survivors with severe injuries. Among them is 10-year-old Efraín Lucena, who was rescued from the ruins of a collapsed building in La Guaira. Family members said the boy is in stable condition, although doctors are assessing serious injuries to one of his legs that could require amputation.
Relatives recounted that the child’s mother managed to push him through a window to safety before becoming trapped beneath the rubble, where she later died. Another member of the family remains unaccounted for.
Rescue operations have been hampered by Venezuela’s longstanding infrastructure deficiencies, including unstable electricity, deteriorating public services and limited medical resources. In several communities, residents joined search efforts themselves, digging through debris in hopes of finding trapped relatives and neighbours before emergency crews arrived.
Seismologists said the destruction was magnified because the two earthquakes occurred in rapid succession, causing repeated ground shaking that weakened already vulnerable structures. Experts also warned that many buildings in the affected region were not designed to withstand strong seismic activity, contributing to the widespread collapse.
The hardest-hit districts include densely populated parts of Caracas and La Guaira, where residential buildings, businesses and homes suffered catastrophic damage. Authorities also expressed concern over informal hillside communities, where unstable construction has heightened the risk of further collapses.
International assistance is now being mobilised, with Venezuela announcing that rescue teams and humanitarian aid are expected from several countries, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Qatar.
Officials cautioned that the death toll is likely to rise as emergency personnel continue to reach heavily damaged areas and search for those still buried beneath collapsed structures.
