Twin earthquakes flatten parts of Venezuela, leaving 235 dead

Rescue teams and residents continued searching through collapsed buildings across northern Venezuela on Thursday after two powerful earthquakes devastated the country, killing about 235 people and injuring at least 4,300 others.

Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said around 235 victims were declared dead on arrival or died after reaching hospitals. Officials warned that the death toll could rise as thousands remained missing following the twin quakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 that struck on Wednesday evening. The tremors, among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, were felt across several neighbouring countries, prompting evacuations as far away as Brazil’s Amazon region.

The United States on Thursday temporarily eased certain sanctions on Venezuela until Oct. 23 to facilitate transactions related to earthquake relief and humanitarian assistance.

The coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas, suffered some of the worst destruction. The closure of the country’s main airport there due to earthquake damage complicated relief operations. Across affected areas, residents joined rescue efforts, digging through debris in search of survivors, often before heavy equipment arrived.

State television showed dramatic rescues, including a woman pulled alive from beneath a concrete slab. However, many residents in Caracas said neighbours, rather than official rescue teams, were carrying out much of the search effort. Dayana Delgado, whose 8-year-old son remained missing, questioned the absence of the heavy machinery authorities had promised.

Scenes of grief unfolded across the disaster zone as families searched for loved ones. Some mourned relatives whose bodies were recovered from the rubble, while others waited anxiously for news of those still unaccounted for.

Authorities have redirected rescue personnel from across the country to La Guaira, while acting President Delcy Rodríguez appealed to private companies to provide heavy construction equipment to support search operations. She said international rescue teams, including the first contingent from the Dominican Republic, were expected to arrive soon.

Countries around the world, including the United States, offered humanitarian assistance following the disaster. The earthquakes present another major challenge for Rodríguez, who assumed office in January after the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela continues to grapple with years of economic instability.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the first earthquake, measuring 7.2, struck near Morón on the Caribbean coast at a depth of about 22 kilometers. A second, stronger 7.5-magnitude quake followed roughly a minute later at a shallower depth of around 10 kilometers. Geophysicist Marcos Ferreira said the back-to-back shallow earthquakes significantly intensified the destruction.

Thousands of residents spent the night outdoors in parks and open spaces, fearing further building collapses. Many awoke to scenes of flattened homes, severely damaged buildings and widespread devastation, while rescue helicopters continued to circle overhead.