Emergency workers are desperately trying to rescue people trapped under collapsed buildings after two strong earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday night, killing at least 164 people and injuring nearly 1,000.
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In a miraculous rescue that was broadcast on national television, three children were also rescued safely. Footage showed young children climbing over piles of rubble in La Guaira.
Another video shows emergency workers lifting large stones aside as they work to extract people from the wreckage.
The Central University of Venezuela in Caracas shared a video of several people working to lift debris away from the trapped man. The university identified them as medical students who “participated in providing aid and assistance to various survivors.” Students helped rescue a man trapped under a collapsed restaurant beam in the town of Calabareda.
Nelson Ospedares, a Caracas resident, said his home in the Altamira neighborhood was partially destroyed.
“We can recover the property, but at the moment the competent authorities, such as the fire department and civil defense, are completely overwhelmed,” he told Noticias Telemundo Ahora in Spanish. “We need more people. Hospitals are extremely crowded.”
Neighboring countries including the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Cuba and El Salvador have already offered to help.
“The United States is ready, willing and able to help. I have directed all agencies of our government to be ready to act quickly,” President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “We are there for our new great friends. Early reports are not good!!!”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had spoken with Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez and said U.S. search and rescue teams were being dispatched from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. He said the country’s most urgent need was search and rescue.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Boucle said on the X show that El Salvador is ready to send 300 rescue workers and 50 tons of equipment, medicine and supplies to Caracas.
Rodriguez thanked President Trump and his administration for their “enduring communication” with the Venezuelan government and expressed gratitude to world leaders who have sent messages of support and offered assistance.
The first magnitude 7.2 quake struck just after 6 p.m. near the town of San Felipe, about 160 miles west of Caracas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Thirty-nine seconds later, a second, more powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 occurred near the town of Umalé.
“Several casualties and damage are likely to occur,” the USGS said, adding that the disaster is likely to be widespread. Photos showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn on the streets.
The USGS said aftershocks were possible and could be accompanied by strong shaking.
The agency warned that strong aftershocks may continue to occur. Rodriguez said 20 aftershocks had already been recorded, declared a state of emergency and announced that Caracas’ airport would be closed due to heavy damage.
The twin earthquakes rank among the most powerful to hit Venezuela in more than a century.
