At least 164 people have died. 971 were injured in Venezuela after the country was hit by two powerful earthquakes, acting president Delcy Rodríguez said.
The latest figures mark a sharp increase from an earlier reported toll of 32 dead and 700 injured. Authorities fear the numbers could rise further as rescue efforts continue.
Yesterday’s 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.
Rodríguez said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to the hardest-hit La Guaira area. which sits north of the capital Caracas.
“Dozens of buildings have collapsed there …. we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” she said.
The US secretary of state. Marco Rubio, said Washington will provide a “whole-of-government” response to the earthquakes in Venezuela, AFP reports.
“So we have a whole-of-government response. It’ll be big, it’ll be fast,. it’ll be effective,” he told reporters during a visit to Bahrain, saying the US defence department would play a “big logistical role”.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed solidarity with Venezuela after two earthquakes struck the country.
“I sincerely share the grief of those who lost their lives in the two separate earthquakes that struck Venezuela,. I extend my condolences and wishes for a speedy recovery to the friendly people and government of Venezuela, wishing urgent healing to the injured,” he said in a post on X.
Erdoğan added: “As Türkiye, we stand by our Venezuelan friends in these painful and difficult days.”
His message reflects Turkey’s own experience with devastating natural disasters in recent years, particularly the February 2023 earthquakes that hit southern Turkey. northern Syria, killing tens of thousands of people and causing widespread destruction.
Here are some of the latest images from Venezuela this morning:
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UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper joins a long list of global figures offering support and solidarity to Venezuela.
In a post on X, she said:
double quotation mark My thoughts are with those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.
We are working with partners to assess the needs & help with the global response.
British nationals should follow local authority advice & check FCDO travel advice pages for latest info.”
At least 164 people have died. 971 were injured in Venezuela after the country was hit by two powerful earthquakes, acting president Delcy Rodríguez said.
The latest figures mark a sharp increase from an earlier reported toll of 32 dead and 700 injured. Authorities fear the numbers could rise further as rescue efforts continue.
Yesterday’s 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.
Rodríguez said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to the hardest-hit La Guaira area. which sits north of the capital Caracas.
“Dozens of buildings have collapsed there …. we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” she said.
The UN has urged the Venezuelan government to lift restrictions on websites to help people access information, saying it could be “a matter of life. death”.
The Venezuelan government has blocked independent news sites. communications platforms, particularly during periods of political unrest and contested elections, with digital rights activists arguing that censorship is used as a tool of state control to restrict access to information and limit dissent.
In a statement, the UN fact-finding mission to Venezuela said:
double quotation mark We stand with all Venezuelans at this difficult time. For a country already facing enormous challenges this is a devasting blow.
It is crucial that a full commitment to human rights guide all aspects of the national. international response to this immense tragedy.
As a critical first step, it is vital that CONATEL, the country’s telecommunications regulator, fully unblock access to social media. all media outlets.
In the coming hours and days, access to information will be a matter of life and death. There can be no excuse for failing to do so immediately.”
The EU said it has activated its Copernicus satellite programme to aid Venezuela’s recovery efforts. According to the EU, Copernicus data “can support preparedness. prevention by providing data that helps to identify risks and prevent loss of lives and damages”.
“My condolences to the victims of the earthquake in Venezuela,” Hadja Lahbib. the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, wrote on X.
“We are following the situation with our field staff and partners there. EU-funded partners are already providing help on the ground, Copernicus is activated & we stand ready to step up assistance.”
The death toll of at least 32 people. injuries of more than 700 does not include victims in the hardest-hit La Guaira area, which lies near the capital Caracas and has been designated a disaster zone, AFP reports.
The coastal city of Catia La Mar in La Guaira state was without electricity,. many people spent the night in the streets or searched for people among the rubble.
“We have nothing. right now we have nothing, not even the strength or the courage to go in there, just imagine,” Larry Rojas, 49, told AFP, standing in front of a collapsed building Catia la Mar where he said his family was trapped.
Germany said it was ready to provide six Airbus A400M transport aircraft to help with relief efforts in Venezuela.
The military aircraft can be available “at short notice as soon as support is requested from us”. the German defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said.
The aircraft. crew already have extensive experience in aid deliveries, having transported relief supplies in Turkey after an earthquake in 2023 and airdropped aid into Gaza in 2024 and 2025, the German defence ministry said.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS). yesterday’s 7.5 magnitude earthquake was the most powerful tremor to hit the country since 1900.
The last time Venezuela was struck by a larger tremor was on 29 October 1900 when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Caracas. the US monitoring service said.
There have been five earthquakes of magnitudes greater than 7 in northern Venezuela or near the coast since 1900. according to USGS.
Seven earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater have occurred within about 250 km (155 miles) of yesterday’s earthquakes over the past century. The most recent was in September last year, when two earthquakes of magnitudes 6.2. 6.3 caused at least one fatality and injured more than 110 people.
People in the capital Caracas remained outdoors for hours after the earthquakes. with many sheltering in schools that have been converted into emergency centres.
They described the moment of terror and destruction as people ran from swaying buildings when the earthquakes hit.
“It started off gently. then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together,” Caracas resident Hector Ricci told Associated Press.
Roberto Gamas, another Caracas resident, said the building he was in “really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong”.
Maria Alejandra described the scenes as “like a horror movie”. She told Reuters: “We had to climb over the rubble and everything.”
Also reacting to news of the disaster was Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni. who wrote on X that she was following the situation with “deep concern”.
“I wish to express, on behalf of the government, our deepest sympathy. solidarity with the Venezuelan authorities and the people of Venezuela,” Meloni said.
She added that she was working to “promptly activate every channel of humanitarian aid and assistance to our compatriots”.
China said it was ready to provide all possible help to Venezuela after two earthquakes killed at least 32 people. injured hundreds, AFP reports.
“China is willing to provide what help it can in an appropriate manner according to the needs of the Venezuelan side,” foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a news briefing.
“As of now, there have been no reports of casualties among Chinese citizens,” he added.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said she has spoken to the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on the phone.
“I have held a phone call with the secretary of state of the United States of America, Marco Rubio, who has expressed his solidarity. support toward the Venezuelan people in these difficult moments for our nation,” she posted on X.
“We are grateful for this expression of solidarity with Venezuela at such a difficult time. marked by the impact of the natural disaster that has affected several regions across the country.”
Earlier. Rodríguez said the Trump administration was “in constant contact” with the Venezuelan authorities as she thanked the US president for his support.
More world leaders have extended their condolences to the people of Venezuela and offered assistance with rescue efforts.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez said: “All my support,. that of Spain, to the Venezuelan people following the devastating earthquakes of this evening. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said: “Deeply saddened by the devastation. loss of life caused by the earthquakes in Venezuela. On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the government. people of Venezuela, especially the families of the victims. We pray for the injured and stand in solidarity with all those affected during this difficult and challenging time.”
Offers of help were also made by a number of other governments including the US, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama. Uruguay.
The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck shortly after 6pm local time. According to the US Geological Survey. the first earthquake hit west of Morón on the country’s Caribbean coast about 168km (104 miles) west of Caracas, while the second earthquake struck just a minute later about 16km (10 miles) south-west of Morón.
It is approaching 3am in Venezuela, where rescue efforts continue after two powerful earthquakes struck the country in quick succession. Here are some of the latest images from news agencies in the capital, Caracas,. in La Guaira, the area hardest hit by the quakes.
More images can be found here:
If you’re just joining us. here are some of the latest updates, as rescuers continue to search for survivors after two back-to-back earthquakes hit Venezuela.
At least 32 people are dead. another 700 injured following the twin earthquakes that rocked northern Venezuela around 6pm Wednesday, local time.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160km (100 miles) west of Caracas. followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey.
Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes collapsed buildings. led to the closure of the main airport.
Donald Trump has pledged support to Venezuela, including aid and personnel, adding there were “a devastating number of deaths”.
Rescuers from others countries were arriving in Venezuela over the coming hours.
Eyewitnesses described the terror of walls cracking and shaking around them, and watching people food into the streets screaming.
Rescuers have been working through the night to try to find people who may still be trapped. many residents have reported feeling too scared to return home due to the possibility of big aftershocks.
Read the full report here:
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