Two powerful earthquakes have struck Venezuela near the capital, killing at least 164 people and injuring nearly 1,000, its interim President Delcy Rodríguez has said.
Rescuers are searching through rubble in Caracas and the nearby seaside city of La Guaira. People can be heard calling for help from under the debris.
The first 7.2-magnitude quake was followed 39 seconds later by an even stronger 7.5-magnitude one, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), with both occurring close to the surface, making destruction more severe.
Venezuela lies over the meeting point of two tectonic plates, and these quakes were caused by the release of the friction of the two slipping past one another.
Rodríguez has declared a state of emergency, while the USGS estimated there was a 44% chance the death toll could reach above 10,000.
Several countries have pledged to help the rescue efforts, with the disaster serving as the first test of Venezuela’s new relationship with the US since President Donald Trump ordered the capture of its President Nicolás Maduro in January.
The first earthquake – centred 20.3km below the surface – struck at 18:04 local time (22:04 GMT) on Wednesday.
It was a national holiday in Venezuela, so more people would have been at home than on a normal weekday. Footage shared on social media showed residents rushing into the streets.
The second struck close by at a depth of 10km, according to USGS data.
Alan Chung, a schoolteacher in Caracas, told the BBC he saw “a cloud of dust” and electricity lines “exploding” after leaving the restaurant he had been in when they hit.
Images emerging from Venezuela show buildings badly damaged or collapsed due to the tremors. The BBC has verified footage of a 10-storey hotel in La Guaira reduced to rubble.
Some residents spent the night outside, fearful of aftershocks. Dozens have been reported since the quakes occurred.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said buildings had been brought down in Caracas, and that Trujillo, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Aragua and Miranda had also been affected.
Maiquetía airport, Venezuela’s main international airport located on the outskirts of Caracas, has been closed due to serious damage, Rodríguez said. Video from inside the terminal shows dust and debris falling from the ceiling.
The USGS said: “High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread.”
It estimated there was a 44% chance of more than 10,000 deaths and a 30% chance of more than 100,000 as a result of the earthquakes, based on a range of factors including previous, similar quakes and the size of the nearby population.
The figures are used to help co-ordinate the emergency response and other factors, including when the earthquakes hit and the quality of the buildings in the area, can affect the death toll.
Caracas-based journalist Luis Hernandez told BBC Newsday that assessing the true scale of the damage would be difficult, with power cuts and internet failures complicating the situation.
“Due to the economic crisis in the country, it is very difficult for us to assess,” he said.
Cabello told VTV that the Altamira and Los Palos Grandes neighbourhoods of Caracas were the worst hit.
The two were also among the worst-affected in 1967, when the last major earthquake to hit the Venezuelan capital struck, killing 200 people.
The second earthquake is the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900, USGS records show.
“It’s the strongest quake I’ve ever felt in my life,” Nicole Kolster, a journalist and BBC Mundo contributor, said.
Kolster, who lives on the seventh floor of an apartment building in Los Palos Grandes, added: “It was so strong that I thought the building was going to fall on top of me.”
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado wrote on X: “My heart, my infinite embrace, and my prayers are with every Venezuelan home in these hours of anguish.”
Rodríguez said rescuers were working to reach survivors, with support being sent from the US, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico and Qatar.
US President Donald Trump said he had instructed his government “to get ready to move quickly” in response to the earthquakes.
“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,” he wrote on Truth Social.
The US “stands ready, willing and able to help!” he added.
