The number of people killed in the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday has increased to 920, while 3,360 others have sustained injuries.
Authorities warned that the toll is likely to rise as search-and-rescue teams continue efforts to reach at least 172 people believed to be trapped beneath collapsed buildings, according to AzerNEWS.
Emergency responders remain deployed across affected regions, with the coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas, suffering the worst destruction. Extensive damage has been reported throughout the state, where hospitals, shopping centres and residential buildings are among the hundreds of structures that have either collapsed completely or suffered severe structural damage. Government officials said about 1,000 infrastructure facilities have been significantly affected.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, disclosed that the country has experienced 214 aftershocks since the two major earthquakes struck. She added that rescue teams have managed to pull dozens of survivors from the rubble.
Jorge Rodríguez, President of the National Assembly, also confirmed that emergency workers have rescued at least 243 people in La Guaira alone.
“The scale of this disaster requires an immediate international response.” — UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
The disaster has placed immense pressure on Venezuela’s healthcare system. With several hospitals damaged or destroyed, medical personnel have been forced to provide treatment in temporary field hospitals. Doctors said the country’s health sector was already struggling with shortages of medicines and medical equipment before the earthquakes, and the surge in casualties has further overwhelmed available resources.
International support has begun arriving as recovery operations intensify. The Venezuelan government said hundreds of foreign rescue personnel have entered the country to assist, while more international teams are expected in the coming days. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs pledged to coordinate global humanitarian assistance, stressing the need for a unified international response to the crisis.
The twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, with the second measuring a powerful magnitude of 7.5. The tremor ranks among the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in the past century.
