La Guaira – At least 920 people have been killed and thousands more injured after devastating twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, with rescuers racing against time to pull survivors from the rubble as the death toll continues to rise.
The earthquakes, measuring magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 and striking about 40 seconds apart, caused catastrophic destruction across the country, with the coastal state of La Guaira bearing the brunt of the disaster. At least 172 people remain trapped under collapsed buildings, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez.
Residents in the hard-hit Playa Grande area of La Guaira described a terrifying night spent outdoors, fearing aftershocks after dozens of apartment buildings suffered severe damage or collapsed entirely.
“We felt the jolt, so to speak, the start of the earthquake. And it was very strong … we gathered out here and saw all the damage,” said local resident José Terraza, 68.
Satellite images of Caraballeda, a town in La Guaira state, show more than 100 partially or fully collapsed buildings. In Catia La Mar, displaced residents have set up temporary shelters on a baseball field after losing their homes, with many refusing to return to damaged buildings for fear of further collapse.
Simon Medina was among those digging through the rubble with only gloves, a shovel and a pickaxe, searching for his mother and brother who were in an apartment building when the quakes struck.
“We are trying to find anything, to understand what happened, and to find even just a small piece. Even if we only find belongings or papers, it would be good,” he told Reuters.
Rescuers are working against the widely recognised golden window of 48 to 72 hours after a quake, during which the chances of finding survivors alive are highest. Some studies suggest live rescues can occur within the first five to six days, though survival chances diminish rapidly without access to water.
The terrain is adding to the difficulty of operations. Constant aftershocks, a lack of heavy machinery and damaged infrastructure are slowing rescue efforts, while entire communities have resorted to clearing debris on their own. Frustrated residents in some coastal areas have called for civilian volunteers armed with pickaxes and shovels to join the effort.
“The situation on the ground is catastrophic,” said Ciarán Donnelly, Senior Vice President of the International Rescue Committee, warning that the humanitarian response faces significant constraints.
Elinor Raikes, the IRC’s Vice President and Head of Program Delivery, said the response would be a long-term undertaking.
“But start thinking about even the longer term,” she said. “This is going to be a monthslong, not weekslong, response to the earthquakes.”
Hospitals across Venezuela are struggling to cope, with shortages of water, antibiotics, IV solution, anaesthetics and other critical supplies reported. Caracas-based paediatrician Dr Huniades Urbina-Medina said at least two hospitals, one in Caracas and one in La Guaira, had collapsed in the quakes, with both structures described as old and poorly maintained.
Specialised rescue teams from the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Spain and other countries have begun mobilising toward Venezuela in coordination with local authorities and the United Nations. The IRC has aid supplies in neighbouring Colombia but is struggling to get them into Venezuela due to damage to the country’s main airport.
US Southern Command said it stands with the people of Venezuela after its personnel and the US Chargé d’Affaires met Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, adding that the US was rapidly surging critical capabilities to support earthquake relief operations at Venezuela’s request.
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