Venezuela earthquakes kill at least 164, toll expected to rise into thousands

Thousands of Venezuelans are feared dead after two powerful earthquakes devastated the capital, Caracas, and surrounding areas. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors on Wednesday caused buildings to collapse, trapping residents.

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When we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie. We had to climb over the rubble and everything. The building superintendent with the baby and all the neighbors coming down. But from that building, I only saw that one family got out.

Emergency workers sifted through rubble as night fell, while desperate relatives searched for loved ones. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez confirmed at least 164 deaths, describing La Guaira state as a "disaster zone" with "dozens of buildings collapsed." She noted intense rescue efforts were underway.

The US Geological Survey's predictive modeling suggests the death toll could reach into the thousands, with a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000. A list of unaccounted individuals posted online by opposition figures already exceeded 10,000.

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Dozens of buildings have collapsed, and we are currently carrying out very intense rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to save. La Guaira state is a true tragedy, and has become ⁠a disaster zone.

Many residents were at home during the quakes, which occurred on a public holiday. US President Donald Trump offered US assistance, stating the nation was "ready, willing and able to help." The UN's human rights mission urged Venezuela to lift social media restrictions, calling it a "matter of life and death" for communication during the crisis.

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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.