‘Fears of 100,000 dead’ after back-to-back earthquakes devastate Venezuela as dramatic images show collapsed buildings
Two devastating earthquakes ripped through Venezuela on Wednesday evening, flattening buildings in Caracas and sparking fears that the disaster could leave up to 100,000 people dead.
Shocking footage and images revealed the aftermath of the back-to-back 7.1 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, which forced panicked travellers to run for their lives as Simón Bolívar International Airport collapsed and parts of nearby cities were reduced to rubble.
The tremors struck near the coast, sending terrified residents racing out from swaying apartment blocks as walls collapsed and clouds of dust rose over the capital.
‘High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,’ the US Geological Survey said, ‘with an initial death toll estimate likely between 10,000 and 100,000.’
On Thursday morning, Venezuelan authorities said at least 32 people had been killed with at least 700 injured.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez warned the toll was expected to rise as rescuers search collapsed buildings and emergency crews reach devastated areas.
The casualty figures released so far excluded the state of La Guaira, which Rodríguez described as a ‘disaster zone’ and the area hardest hit.
The quakes are among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century although strong earthquakes are unusual in the country.
Back in the capital, terrifying footage showed the scale of the destruction that unfolded.
Emergency workers were seen clambering into the ruins of a collapsed building as night fell, while distraught residents stood outside shattered homes and apartment blocks with entire walls torn away, leaving furniture exposed to the street.
Municipal police officers evacuate an injured victim from a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas
People run into a street in panic following an earthquake in Caracas on Wednesday evening
Picture of a Bancaribe building that collapsed after an earthquake in Caracas on Wednesday BARRETO / AFP via Getty Images)
Rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building following a powerful earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela
Terrified passengers run for cover as parts of the airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela break apart
An injured woman is seen transported in the back of a pickup truck in Caracas
Residents and emergency workers stand near damaged buildings following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, some 30kms north-west of Caracas
People sleep outside their homes in Caracas
People stand near destroyed buildings on fire after an earthquake, in La Guaira, Venezuela
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed that buildings and homes had been brought down in the capital.
‘Some buildings have been brought down (in Caracas), houses have collapsed,’ he said on state television.
One witness described cracks racing up the side of their apartment block as the ground buckled, while others fled into the streets and refused to return inside.
In the coastal state of Falcon, Governor Víctor Clark said 32 people had been hospitalized and more than four hours after the earthquake there were still 15 people trapped.
President Donald Trump said the United States was preparing to help Venezuela after the devastation.
‘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,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
‘The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly,’ he added. ‘We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good!!!’
The US is ‘immediately deploying’ rescuers and aid to Venezuela, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.
‘America stands with the Venezuelan people during this difficult time and at the direction of President Trump, the State Department is immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela,’ Rubio wrote on X.
The quakes struck while many Venezuelans were at home marking Battle of Carabobo Day, the public holiday commemorating the 1821 victory that helped secure the country’s independence from Spain.
President Trump posted that the US ‘stands ready, willing and able to help’ the people of Venezuela following Wednesday’s earthquakes
A damaged building at Los Palos Grandes after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Venezuela
Rescue workers carry a person on a stretcher out of a collapsed building
Debris lies on a street following an earthquake in Caracas on Wednesday. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Venezuela the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported
People camp on a sports court after evacuating from building in Caracas
Rescue worker carry an injured man on a stretcher in Caracas
People stand in the rubble near a damaged building following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, La Guaira State
Although the epicenter was on land, the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said tsunami waves were possible along the coasts of Venezuela, Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba.
The first tremor happened at 6:04pm Venezuela time about 17 miles northwest of Montalbán, Venezuela and about 104 miles west of Caracas. The quake had a depth of 8 miles.
A second powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 then struck the country just one minute later, according to the USGS.
The second quake had a depth of 6 miles and its epicenter was 10 miles southwest of the city of Morón, Venezuela.
Columns of dust rose over neighborhoods across Caracas packed with restaurants and businesses as the quakes struck, sending people scrambling for safety.
Entire exterior walls were ripped away from some buildings, leaving furniture and the inside of apartments exposed to the street below.
People remained on the streets for hours, some sitting on the ground hugging pets as dust gathered around them.
Collapsed buildings, toppled electric poles and debris blocked streets. Parts of the capital lost power and cellphone signal.
In a brief address to the nation late Wednesday, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said the earthquakes caused damages in several states, but she did not give any figures on the number of homes and buildings affected, or on injuries or fatalities.
Rodríguez, who declared a state of emergency, said subway and natural gas services in Caracas were canceled.
She also urged Venezuelans to report any damages through a government app.
Concrete and ceiling tiles can be seen on the floor of the airport in Venezuela
A person arrives at a hospital emergency room in Caracas after being injured in the earthquake
Emergency responders conduct rescue operations in Caracas, Venezuela
Rescue workers gather at the site of a collapsed building after the earthquake in Caracas
A shop worker picks up food from the floor at a a store in Caracas after items were tossed from shelves
A mother looks for a safe place to spend the night with her two children following the quake
People wait outside their homes in Caracas, Venezuela after the tremors
The lack of cellphone signal in parts of Venezuela deepened the distress of many families, particularly those among the more than 7.7 million people who have left the country during its protracted crisis.
The earthquakes damaged the country’s main airport, Simón Bolívar International Airport, severely enough to lead to its closure, she said, adding that flights were being canceled for several days.
Rodríguez also said school classes would be canceled for several days. The Ministry of Education said some school buildings would be used as shelters and donation centers.
‘We urge our population to remain calm,’ said Rodríguez, who asked health care professionals to report to hospitals to assist the injured. ‘We urge unity.’
Rodríguez also asked all health care professionals in the country to report to hospitals to assist anyone who was injured.
The Ministry of Education late Wednesday said some schools would be used as shelters and donation centers.
While the Venezuela sits near multiple fault lines, its position straddling the South American and Caribbean plates makes earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America.
Along the Pacific coast – in Mexico and Chile, for example – earthquakes are frequent; the two countries sit along the seismically active tectonic belt known as the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire,’ responsible for 90% of earthquakes, according to the USGS.
Interior Minister Cabello said the quake could be felt in several states, adding that the Altamira neighborhood in Caracas had ‘alarming situations’ with collapsed homes and buildings.
He urged people to remain outside as aftershocks could further damage some structures.
People evacuated swaying buildings in Caracas and remained outside, many visibly shocked
Doctors treat an injured person in Caracas, Venezuela
Debris lies on a street following an earthquake in Caracas. The tremor, which was followed by several aftershocks, was also felt in Colombia
Members of the Fire Department rescue a person in Caracas
Many residents headed out onto the street looking particularly shaken up after the earthquake
Residents console a man outside their homes after successive earthquakes, in Caracas
People evacuated swaying apartment blocks and businesses as the earthquake sent shockwaves through Caracas
Terrified Caracas residents stood outside damaged buildings as emergency crews assessed the aftermath
‘We understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to protocols to activate aid and rescue efforts to help those who need it most,’ Cabello said on state television.
‘Be very careful with children and the elderly; call each other and check that no one has been harmed.’
Venezuela’s state-run VTV showed footage early Thursday of three children, covered in dust but alive, being pulled from the rubble in hard-hit La Guaira.
The broadcaster also said a hospital in the city of Tucacas, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of Caracas, suffered damage and showed images of dozens of people in what seemed like medical garb in front of the building.
Residents who managed to get out onto the streets shared their experiences.
‘It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together,’ Caracas resident Hector Ricci said.
‘The building really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong,’ Caracas resident Roberto Damas said.
‘We were walking and it was tossing us around. Everything in the apartment fell. Well, thank God we were able to get out.’
‘As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming,’ said Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas. ‘Everyone was running down the stairs.’
‘There was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I’ve never experienced anything like it,’ said Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas.
One British teacher in Caracas told the BBC that the scenes were reminiscent of 9/11.
First responders are seen at a damaged building at Los Palos Grandes after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck
Rescue workers carry an injured man after the earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela
People walk amid debris after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela
A collapsed building is seen following Wednesday evening’s earthquake
Residents said cracks ran up the sides of buildings as the powerful quake rocked the capital
A dog is rescued from a collapsed building following the earthquake
Rescue workers evacuate an injured person from a collapsed building following the earthquake
Residents in the capital, which was also rocked by a deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake in 1967, rushed to evacuate as the quake shook buildings.
Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner on the south side of Caracas, said that the police helped her get out. ‘This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967,’ she added.
‘The stairs came away, the whole wall cracked. Things fell from the ceiling. It was horrible,’ said 54-year-old bank employee Odalis Escalona.
‘It was unbelievable, I don’t even know how long it lasted,’ said shopkeeper Heidi Romero, who was on the top floor of a shopping centre when the quake struck.
‘We went out through the emergency stairs; that’s how they got us out,’ the 42-year-old added.
Dozens more in the capital exited buildings and waited outside before returning to their offices and homes.
Carmen Guedez, 69, was in the same room as her bedridden sister when she felt the jolt.
‘It kept getting stronger,’ said the administrator, who lives in a hilly middle-class neighborhood above the capital. ‘I started to see the windows begin to move and then everything shook.’
She described how she ‘huddled together’ with her sister and a neighbor, adding that ‘we couldn’t get out. The neighbors are still out on the street.’
Fire trucks could be seen on the streets in the capital, and the facades of some buildings had suffered significant damage.
People appeared to be in shock in the moments following the quakes
The back-to-back earthquakes appeared to traumatize many who got out alive
People stay outside their homes after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela
Rescuers search for victims in a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas
Rescue workers search for survivors at a collapsed building after an earthquake in Caracas
A boy comforts his mother after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela
One witness said that cracks had formed up the side of their apartment and glass in the entryway had shattered.
Many residents in Caracas also lost power and internet services.
‘Several walls in my building broke open or cracks formed,’ a witness in Valencia, to the west of Caracas, told Reuters.
‘As soon as it stopped (shaking), my husband and I evacuated.’
The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands following the earthquake.
The agency advised people in areas near the ocean to get out of the water, off the beach and away from harbors or inlets.
The quake was felt as far away as the Colombian capital of Bogota, where alarms sounded and some residents evacuated buildings as a precaution.
Freddy Tovar, coordinator of Colombia’s National Seismological Network, said they had received more than 200 reports of tremors nationwide.
‘The conditions of this seismic event mean that some aftershocks may occur, which could also be widely felt across Colombian territory,’ he said in a video posted on X.
The Colombian disaster management agency UNGRD ruled out the possibility of a tsunami taking place in the aftermath.
‘NO tsunami, NO danger from a recent earthquake,’ the US National Tsunami Warning Center said in an X post.
View of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas
Emergency services work at the site of a collapsed building after a strong earthquake shook north-central Venezuela
People pray as they gather after an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela
People assist a woman after an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela
Emergency services work at the site of a collapsed building after two strong earthquakes shook north-central Venezuela
Emergency responders conduct rescue operations in Caracas after two powerful earthquakes struck including a magnitude 7.5 earthquake, causing buildings to collapse
Rescue workers gather at the site of a collapsed building after the earthquake in Caracas
Emergency personnel assist a man at the site of a building collapse
A man holding a dog cries alongside rescue workers in Caracas
Rescue workers search through the rubble after the earthquake
The US embassy in Caracas urged its citizens to avoid damaged areas, not to enter damaged buildings and to seek secure shelter.
‘There are many injured people inside. It’s a disaster,’ one man could be heard saying in footage shot outside a building that had collapsed in San Bernardino, in northern Caracas.
The exiled opposition leader and Nobel laureate, María Corina Machado, wrote on X: ‘My heart, my infinite embrace, and my prayers are with every Venezuelan home in these hours of anguish. May strength, serenity and solidarity prevail among us in the face of this difficult moment.’
Reaction poured in swiftly on social media, with offers of help from various governments including the United States, Chile and El Salvador.
‘The US stands with the Venezuelan people in the aftermath of this evening’s devastating earthquakes,’ U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on X. ‘We’re in touch with the authorities and mobilizing assistance.’
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, once diametrically opposed to Venezuela´s government, said he had offered aid Wednesday night on a post on X.
‘We send you all our solidarity and our prayers. Stay strong, Venezuela,’ Bukele wrote.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and said he had ordered the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to help respond to the emergency.
‘Ecuador will respond with the speed and commitment this moment demands because, despite our enormous differences, humanity must always guide the actions of a leader,’ Noboa wrote.
Buildings in Manaus, Belem and Macapá in Brazil’s Amazon were evacuated, according to reports on TV Globo.
The quakes also were felt in Colombia´s Caribbean and northeast regions, but there were no reports of damages or injuries.
