Rescuers in Venezuela used power tools to work their way into piles of rubble where buildings once stood after 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck the South American country
Desperate rescue attempts were underway today after TWO quakes in Venezuela killed at least 188 — with deaths feared to soar.
Efforts to free trapped survivors came after the South American country was rocked by the disaster, which injured some 1,500 people. An expert agency gave a 44% chance of fatalities topping 10,000 — and 30% that the figure climbs above 100,000.
The 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes, which struck seconds apart, shook Venezuela on Wednesday evening local time. They were among the strongest to hit the stricken country in over a century, with thousands of people reported missing. The earthquakes killed at least 188 people and trapped over 200, according to Jorge Rodriguez, President of Venezuela’s National Assembly.
‘Intensive rescue operations to save lives’
Rescuers used power tools to work their way into piles of rubble where buildings once stood. Meanwhile, panicked residents in the capital, Caracas, poured into the streets. Many people walked among debris searching for the missing among collapsed buildings and toppled electric poles.
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, on the coast north of Caracas. Officials were trying to make the most of the daylight hours to speed up efforts to rescue people believed to remain trapped under the rubble, she explained.
TV footage showed three children, covered in dust but alive, pulled from the rubble in La Guaira state, described by Rodriguez as a “disaster zone” and the area hardest hit. She said: “Dozens of buildings have collapsed there … and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives.”
People ran from swaying buildings
In La Guaira, Cristian Carreno stared stunned at his charred apartment building tilting precariously to one side. He said: “I lost everything. Everything. There are people still inside, I imagine, that couldn’t get out. It’s incredibly devastating.”
Video shared online appeared to show dozens of people, some lying on the ground and others on hospital beds, being treated outside a hospital in La Guaira.
The early potential death toll chances came from the US Geological Survey (USGS), which reportedly said “disaster is likely widespread”.
During the quakes, people ran from swaying buildings, and many were shocked when they turned back to see destroyed walls that left furniture visible from the street. In La Guaira, a man wearing only shorts climbed down the face of an apartment building tilted at a dangerous angle as a crowd watched.
Mother-of-three Dayana Delgado told how she was desperate because her eight-year-old was missing. “I want to know where my child is, if he’s trapped or in a shelter,” she said.
‘It was awful. We cried, we screamed’
In downtown Caracas, hundreds spent the night huddled around parks, parking lots and other open spaces. Authorities warned against returning to homes with structural damage.
Maria Cristina Diaz, a 41-year-old janitor, said: “We were afraid the buildings would collapse on us.” She added: “My mother, my daughter and I were cold. We didn’t sleep a wink; but I didn’t want to spend the night alone at home after that terrible earthquake.” She explained: “It was awful. We cried, we screamed. Thankfully, we’re alive.”
Parts of the capital lost power and mobile coverage, and the quakes damaged and closed Simon Bolivar International Airport, Rodriguez said. In Caracas, subway services were suspended and natural gas shut off, she said. Scores of people in Venezuela and abroad struggled to contact family members. Families began posting missing-person fliers with pictures of loved ones, while others shared handwritten lists of names as they searched for those still unaccounted for.
The USGS said the first earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.2, hit west of Moron on the Caribbean coast, about 105 miles west of Caracas. It had a depth of about 14 miles. USGS reported a second 7.5 magnitude earthquake, with a depth of about six miles and an epicentre 10 miles southwest of Moron.
Government response
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is “immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.” “We will have a whole government response,” Rubio said in Bahrain. “It will be big. It will be fast. It will be effective.”
Rodriguez – who became acting president after an American military operation captured her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro – thanked US President Donald Trump.
Tom Fletcher, head of the UN’s humanitarian agency, said: “To those whose loved ones who are currently under the rubble, know that we are going to do our best to make sure that help gets to you and your loved ones.” And Save the Children in Venezuela’s country director, Fatima Andraca, said: “While the extent of the destruction will take time to become clear, we know from past experience that children will need urgent support to access shelter, food, water and healthcare now.”
In December, the UK government estimated there were about 500 Brits in Venezuela – mostly dual nationals or long-time residents. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “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.”
