Venezuela Earthquakes: International Rescue Teams Join Search as Death Toll Reaches 920.
VENEZUELA – Venezuela is facing a major disaster after two powerful earthquakes struck the north of the country. At 18:04 local time (23:04 BST), a magnitude 7.2 quake hit northern Venezuela, followed just 39 seconds later by a stronger 7.5 magnitude earthquake about 28 km south-east of Yumare in Yaracuy state. It is the strongest earthquake recorded in the country since 1900.
On Thursday at around 00:50, acting president Delcy Rodríguez reported at least 32 deaths and more than 700 injured, noting that figures from the hardest-hit state of La Guaira were still not included. Emergency teams and the military were deployed as international aid began mobilizing, with the United States pledging $150 million in assistance.
By Friday morning, rescue teams from Mexico, El Salvador, Switzerland, and Spain arrived in Venezuela, with more international support expected. At around 08:30 local time, the death toll rose to 589, with 2,980 injured, and authorities placed La Guaira under military control.
Later on, Friday, officials updated the figures again, confirming at least 920 deaths and 3,360 injured. An update from Rodríguez also put the number of trapped people at 172, while tens of thousands of people are reported missing on a civilian-led rescue database.
Search and rescue operations continued into Saturday as teams worked through rubble, with officials saying they remain hopeful of finding survivors.
