Daijiworld Media Network - Caracas

Caracas, Jun 25: The death toll from the powerful twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela has risen to 164, while at least 971 people have been injured, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on Thursday as rescue operations continued in the worst-hit regions.

The back-to-back earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck on Wednesday evening and are among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century. Tremors were felt across the region, with buildings evacuated as far away as Brazil's Amazon region, nearly 1,700 kilometres from Caracas.

Rodríguez described the coastal state of La Guaira as a "disaster zone", saying dozens of buildings had collapsed and intensive rescue efforts were underway to locate survivors trapped under debris.

State television footage showed rescue teams pulling three children alive from the rubble in La Guaira, one of the areas worst affected by the disaster.

Authorities have begun shifting additional rescue personnel and equipment to the coastal state, while international search-and-rescue teams certified by the United Nations are expected to arrive to assist operations.

The Venezuelan government has announced a state of emergency and created a $200 million reconstruction fund to support the rebuilding of damaged hospitals, homes and public infrastructure.

The earthquakes also caused extensive damage to Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas, forcing its closure. Metro services and natural gas supplies in parts of the capital were suspended, while schools have been shut for several days. Some educational institutions are being converted into temporary shelters and donation centres.

Officials said the casualty figures released so far do not fully account for the devastation in La Guaira, where rescue efforts remain ongoing.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the first earthquake struck off Venezuela's Caribbean coast near Morón at a depth of 22 kilometres. Just over a minute later, a stronger 7.5-magnitude quake hit the same region at a depth of 10 kilometres.

The tremors triggered panic across Caracas, where residents rushed out of swaying buildings as walls collapsed, power outages were reported and communication networks were disrupted.
"It started gently and then became stronger. We all had to leave our houses and gather outside," said Caracas resident Hector Ricci.

Another resident, Roberto Gamas, described the shaking as "unreal", saying the building he was in swayed violently from side to side.

The earthquakes were also felt in Colombia and several parts of Brazil, although no major damage was reported outside Venezuela. Tsunami alerts briefly issued after the quakes were later withdrawn.

Several countries, including the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Mexico, Panama and El Salvador, have offered assistance to support Venezuela's rescue and relief operations.

Despite lying near multiple fault lines, Venezuela experiences major earthquakes less frequently than many other Latin American countries, making the latest disaster one of the most severe in the nation's recent history.