Venezuela Death Toll Rises to 188 After Twin Earthquakes, Rescue Efforts Underway
Back-to-back magnitude-7 quakes in Venezuela have killed at least 188 people, injured more than 1,500 and left hundreds trapped under rubble as authorities and international teams begin rescue operations.
A magnitude-7.2 quake struck near San Felipe in the Yaracuy state of Venezuela on Wednesday evening, followed 39 seconds later by a stronger magnitude-7.5 tremor. The shallow, double-shock event caused widespread collapse of residential buildings in Caracas and the coastal port city of La Guaira, where more than 100 structures were reported destroyed, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez announced a death toll of at least 188 and more than 1,500 injuries. She declared a state of emergency, mobilised emergency responders, and called for doctors and nurses to report for duty. Local residents described scenes of rubble, power outages and burst water pipes, with many civilians digging through debris themselves to locate trapped relatives.
“We have pulled out a lot of dead people,” said Yorliana Colmenares, a resident of La Guaira, who also feared her boyfriend was among those still trapped.
International assistance is being coordinated, with rescue teams from the United States, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Qatar, China, Brazil and several Caribbean nations expected to arrive. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said American rescue crews from Virginia and California would help, and the Defense Department would assist in delivering aid.
The earthquakes struck an area where many homes are built of unreinforced brick masonry and adobe, structures that are highly vulnerable to seismic shaking. Experts noted that the shallow depth of the quakes and the loose sediment of the Yaracuy Valley amplified the ground motion, leading to building “pancake” failures.
Infrastructure damage includes the closure of Simón Bolívar International Airport, suspension of subway and rail services, and extensive power and water disruptions across Caracas and surrounding states. Internet connectivity fell to about 65 percent of normal levels.
Humanitarian agencies, including the UN’s humanitarian office, UNICEF and Direct Relief, are working to provide emergency medical supplies, shelter and food to affected populations. The scale of the disaster is expected to test Venezuela’s already strained health and emergency systems.
The political context remains tense. Rodríguez, who assumed the presidency after the U.S.-backed removal of former leader Nicolás Maduro, faces declining public approval and a fragile economy under heavy sanctions. The earthquakes add pressure to her administration’s response and to ongoing international aid negotiations.
