164 people dead in Venezuela quakes

Two powerful earthquakes have struck Venezuela, killing at least 164 people and injuring 971, as buildings collapsed in and around the capital, Caracas, interim President Delcy Rodriguez says.

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck near San Felipe, about 284km (176 miles) west of Caracas, at 6:04pm (22:04 GMT) on Wednesday, followed almost immediately by a magnitude 7.5 quake near Yumare, about 293km (182 miles) west of the capital, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS, using predictive modelling to estimate the death toll in the disaster, said it would most likely run into the thousands and has a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000.

“Dozens of buildings have collapsed, and we are currently carrying out very intense rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to save,” Rodriguez said in an appearance on state television early on Thursday.

“I also want to say that this is a true tragedy. From here, we send our message of solidarity, and to those families who have lost loved ones, we reaffirm our condolences and our support in these difficult hours.”

The country is focused on rescue efforts, including the arrival in the coming hours of rescue crews from other countries, she said, as she thanked international leaders, including US President Donald Trump.

Trump said in a post on social media the US was ready, willing and able to help respond to the disaster.

“The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths,” said Trump, who ordered the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a raid in January.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that Washington “is immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela”.

Leaders from other countries – including El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Australia and Brazil – offered support and sympathy.

The United Nations called on Venezuelan authorities to urgently lift restrictions on access to media outlets, saying the ability to receive information will soon become “a matter of life and death”.

“It is crucial that a full commitment to human rights guide all aspects of the national and international response to this immense tragedy,” said a statement by the UN fact-finding mission to Venezuela.

Venezuela’s telecommunications regulator, CONATEL, should take the first step of fully unblocking “access to social media and all media outlets”, it said.