Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Climbs to 235 as Rescuers Race Against Time

The death toll from the powerful twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela has risen to at least 235, as emergency workers and volunteers continue a desperate search for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said on Thursday that about 4,300 people were injured in the disaster, while rescue operations remained underway across the country's hardest-hit communities.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck less than a minute apart on Wednesday night, triggering widespread destruction across northern Venezuela. Strong aftershocks continued to shake the region on Thursday, complicating rescue efforts.

Entire buildings collapsed, while others were left cracked or leaning precariously, forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes.

In La Guaira State, one of the areas worst affected by the disaster, rescuers and residents struggled to reach victims trapped beneath piles of concrete and twisted metal.

Residents said a young girl remained trapped under the rubble for several hours as neighbours pleaded for heavy equipment and additional rescue personnel. She later died before rescuers could reach her.

Elsewhere in the state, voices could still be heard beneath another collapsed building as desperate residents waited for specialist rescue teams.

"They're still alive," one resident, Antonio Bermudez, told AFP. "There's nothing more we can do. We don't have any tools. We have no way to help."

Medical workers described chaotic scenes as ambulances transported victims, including children separated from their families, to hospitals across the region.

A doctor at Domingo Luciani Hospital in Caracas told AFP that some children arrived carrying only identification bands because they had been rescued without relatives.

As rescue operations continued, governments and humanitarian organisations across the world announced support for Venezuela.

Switzerland, Spain, France, Portugal and Mexico have dispatched rescue specialists and emergency response teams to assist local authorities.

The United States also announced a major relief operation involving transport aircraft, helicopters, two naval vessels and emergency assistance worth $150 million.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had launched a "whole-of-government response" to support rescue and humanitarian operations.

China, Brazil, India and Iran also offered assistance, while Pope Leo XIV donated an initial €100,000 to support emergency relief efforts.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep sadness over the disaster, as the UN pledged to assist Venezuelan authorities.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher described the disaster as the strongest earthquake to strike Venezuela in more than a century, warning that recovery would require extensive international cooperation.

Relief operations face additional challenges after the international airport in La Guaira suffered significant structural damage and was forced to suspend operations.

Authorities in Brazil, China, Italy and Portugal confirmed that some of their citizens were among those killed in the disaster.

Venezuela's northern coastline lies along the boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, making it vulnerable to seismic activity.

According to the USGS, Wednesday's magnitude 7.5 earthquake was the country's most powerful since October 1900, when a magnitude 7.7 offshore earthquake struck the region.

The tremors were also felt across neighbouring Colombia, where office buildings were evacuated in Bogotá, while seismic monitors recorded shaking in several cities in northern Brazil.

In Caracas, many residents spent the night sleeping outdoors or inside their vehicles, fearing additional aftershocks.

Among them was 60-year-old Rita Gomez, who travelled to the capital after learning through social media that the apartment building where her daughter lived had collapsed.

Standing near the wreckage as heavy machinery cleared debris, she said she remained hopeful rescuers would find her daughter alive.

Authorities have warned that the death toll may continue to rise as search teams reach more collapsed buildings in the coming days.

AFP