FLASH
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At least 235 people have died, over 4,300 have been injured, while thousands more are missing after two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela...
Venezuela continues to grapple with the aftermath of two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5, that struck the country in the early hours of Thursday. Rescue teams, along with family members and residents, are searching for survivors under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
According to Venezuelan Health Minister Carlos Alvarado, at least 235 people have died and over 4,300 have been injured. Authorities warn that the death toll could rise, while tens of thousands of people are reported missing.
The second earthquake, which occurred just 39 seconds after the first, is considered one of the most powerful to hit Venezuela in more than a century. The tremors were felt across a wide area of the country and caused extensive damage to infrastructure.
The injured, covered in dust and blood, including children, were pulled from the rubble. State television broadcast footage of rescue operations, where a woman was pulled alive after being trapped under a concrete wall.
The coastal area of La Guaira, north of Caracas, was among the hardest hit. The country's main international airport was closed due to damage, making it difficult for international rescue teams to arrive.
On Thursday morning, residents were confronted with scenes of destruction: flattened buildings, cracked roads and furniture hanging from damaged buildings. Hundreds of people spent the night in parks, parking lots and open spaces for fear of more aftershocks.
Families are posting photos of missing relatives on social media and distributing lists of names in an effort to find them. Meanwhile, many Venezuelans living abroad have been unable to communicate with their families due to telephone outages.
"I just want to know where my son is, if he's trapped or in a shelter," said Dayana Delgado, who is searching for her 8-year-old son.
She criticized the lack of heavy machinery promised by the authorities, saying that it is the residents themselves who are digging through the rubble.
In another tragic scene, a woman collapsed to the ground after seeing the bodies of her two children, ages 3 and 10, wrapped in blankets and carried away by emergency crews. Others called out the names of relatives, while some stood in silence, shocked by what they had experienced.
Authorities have sent additional rescue teams to La Guaira, a region that has experienced major natural disasters before. In 1999, a massive landslide in the area caused thousands of deaths.
"I lost everything," said resident Cristian Carreño, looking at his heavily damaged building. "I believe there are still people inside who didn't manage to get out."
Pensioner Juan Alberto Medrano also climbed into the rubble to try to help. He said he heard a trapped woman calling for help.
"May God save her as soon as possible. When we heard her cries, we had no chance to help her," he said.
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