Nearly 50,000 people remain missing and at least 235 have died after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Thursday, according to officials. The twin quakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, hit in and around the capital Caracas just 39 seconds apart, making them the strongest seismic event in the country since 1900, according to the US Geological Survey.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
Videos captured terrified residents fleeing violently shaking areas as buildings collapsed into rubble. Thousands have been left homeless. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez declared La Guaira, a coastal state adjoining Caracas, a 'disaster zone'. The Caracas airport sustained damage and remains out of service, while electricity is scarce.
Rescue missions continue as teams search for survivors. Yamileth Jiminez, a resident of La Guaira city, told reporters her 19-year-old son is trapped under the debris of their seven-story apartment block. 'He's under the slabs and there's no machinery to get him out,' she said.
Community Response and Humanitarian Needs
People have been digging through wreckage with their bare hands, while volunteers carry water, food, and medicine along the Caracas-La Guaira highway. Pedro Perez, 64, who owns an upholstery workshop, said: 'We lost everything. We have no food or medicines. We hope help arrives quickly.'
The earthquakes have caused severe damage to infrastructure, with many buildings reduced to rubble. The full extent of the destruction is still being assessed as rescue and recovery operations continue.
