By Oluwatobi Omotosho
At least 188 people have been killed and more than 1,500 others injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela in quick succession, causing widespread destruction across the country’s northern region and triggering a major humanitarian emergency.
Venezuelan authorities said more than 200 people remain trapped beneath collapsed buildings as rescue workers continue search-and-rescue operations in affected communities.
The earthquakes, which struck late on Wednesday, severely affected the capital, Caracas, and the neighbouring coastal state of La Guaira, where dozens of buildings collapsed.
Officials said at least 250 structures were damaged, with more than 100 buildings destroyed in La Guaira alone.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez described the disaster as a tragedy, saying emergency responders were carrying out intensive rescue operations across the affected areas.
The earthquakes also damaged critical infrastructure, causing power outages, burst water pipes and widespread communication disruptions.
Parts of Caracas remained without electricity on Thursday, while water supply was interrupted in several northern states. Authorities suspended rail and metro services to facilitate rescue operations, and Simón Bolívar International Airport was closed after sustaining significant damage. Schools in affected areas were also shut for the remainder of the week.
At the Universidad Central de Venezuela clinic in Caracas, relatives of 10-year-old Efraín Lucena said the boy was rescued from a collapsed building in La Guaira and was in stable condition.
Family members said doctors were assessing severe injuries to one of his legs and considering whether amputation might be necessary.
According to relatives, the boy’s mother managed to push him through a window to safety before becoming trapped in the rubble and dying. Another family member remains missing as rescue efforts continue.
Rescue operations have been hampered by Venezuela’s longstanding infrastructure challenges, including unreliable electricity, deteriorating public services and limited healthcare resources.
Residents in some of the worst-hit communities reported digging through rubble in search of survivors, citing a limited emergency response in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
Experts said the impact of the earthquakes was intensified because the two tremors occurred within a short interval and struck an area with geological conditions that amplified ground shaking.
The United States Geological Survey warned that many buildings in the affected region were constructed with materials highly vulnerable to earthquake damage, increasing the risk of collapse and contributing to the high casualty toll.
The hardest-hit areas include densely populated districts of Caracas and La Guaira, where residential towers, commercial buildings and homes were reduced to rubble. Authorities also expressed concern about informal hillside settlements, where structures are particularly vulnerable to seismic activity.
International assistance is being mobilised, with Venezuela announcing that rescue teams and humanitarian support are expected from several countries, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Qatar.
Authorities warned that the death toll could rise further as emergency workers gain access to severely affected areas and continue searching for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
