Venezuela earthquakes: ‘intensive’ search for survivors as death toll rises to 164 – latest updates

The head of the UN’s humanitarian agency, Tom Fletcher, said the organisation is “fully mobilised” to provide assistance in Venezuela, adding that “the coming days will require a massive collective effort to support the government-led response and help communities”.

In a statement, he said:

Even before these earthquakes, nearly 8 million people in Venezuela were in need of humanitarian support. This disaster risks deepening existing vulnerabilities.

Sustained international support for humanitarian organizations responding on the ground is essential and urgent.”

The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) reported more than 100 buildings collapsed in La Guaira, a small coastal state north of Caracas that was hardest hit by the earthquakes.

The level of devastation is overwhelming local authorities, Ocha said in its latest disaster response report, designating the affected area as a priority for international rescue teams.

It said: “Although the scale of casualties and humanitarian needs remains unclear it is clear the damage was severe. La Guaira state where the main airport is located has been declared a disaster zone. Early reporting indicates that casualties could be significant and further aftershocks are possible.”

The Netherlands said it would be sending a team of rescue workers to help Venezuela, after the country was struck by its strongest earthquake in more than a century.

“The needs are immense,” foreign trade minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma said in a statement, announcing 2m euro aid package to deploy a search and rescue team that includes rescue workers and dogs and equipment.

Iran said it was ready to help with rescue and relief operations after Venezuela was struck by its strongest earthquake in more than a century.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a statement “announced Iran’s readiness to provide any assistance required in relief and rescue operations”, while expressing “solidarity with the government and people of Venezuela”.

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said Washington will provide a “whole-of-government” response to the earthquakes in Venezuela, AFP reports.

“So we have a whole-of-government response. It’ll be big, it’ll be fast, and it’ll be effective,” he told reporters during a visit to Bahrain, saying the US defence department would play a “big logistical role”.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed solidarity with Venezuela after two earthquakes struck the country.

“I sincerely share the grief of those who lost their lives in the two separate earthquakes that struck Venezuela, and I extend my condolences and wishes for a speedy recovery to the friendly people and government of Venezuela, wishing urgent healing to the injured,” he said in a post on X.

Erdoğan added: “As Türkiye, we stand by our Venezuelan friends in these painful and difficult days.”

His message reflects Turkey’s own experience with devastating natural disasters in recent years, particularly the February 2023 earthquakes that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria, killing tens of thousands of people and causing widespread destruction.

Here are some of the latest images from Venezuela this morning:

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UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper joins a long list of global figures offering support and solidarity to Venezuela.

In a post on X, she said:

My thoughts are with those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.

We are working with partners to assess the needs & help with the global response.

British nationals should follow local authority advice & check FCDO travel advice pages for latest info.”

At least 164 people have died and 971 were injured in Venezuela after the country was hit by two powerful earthquakes, acting president Delcy Rodríguez said.

The latest figures mark a sharp increase from an earlier reported toll of 32 dead and 700 injured. Authorities fear the numbers could rise further as rescue efforts continue.

Yesterday’s 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.

Rodríguez said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to the hardest-hit La Guaira area, which sits north of the capital Caracas.

“Dozens of buildings have collapsed there … and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” she said.

The UN has urged the Venezuelan government to lift restrictions on websites to help people access information, saying it could be “a matter of life and death”.

The Venezuelan government has blocked independent news sites and communications platforms, particularly during periods of political unrest and contested elections, with digital rights activists arguing that censorship is used as a tool of state control to restrict access to information and limit dissent.

In a statement, the UN fact-finding mission to Venezuela said:

We stand with all Venezuelans at this difficult time. For a country already facing enormous challenges this is a devasting blow.

It is crucial that a full commitment to human rights guide all aspects of the national and international response to this immense tragedy.

As a critical first step, it is vital that CONATEL, the country’s telecommunications regulator, fully unblock access to social media and all media outlets.

In the coming hours and days, access to information will be a matter of life and death. There can be no excuse for failing to do so immediately.”

The EU said it has activated its Copernicus satellite programme to aid Venezuela’s recovery efforts. According to the EU, Copernicus data “can support preparedness and prevention by providing data that helps to identify risks and prevent loss of lives and damages”.

“My condolences to the victims of the earthquake in Venezuela,” Hadja Lahbib, the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, wrote on X.

“We are following the situation with our field staff and partners there. EU-funded partners are already providing help on the ground, Copernicus is activated & we stand ready to step up assistance.”

The death toll of at least 32 people and injuries of more than 700 does not include victims in the hardest-hit La Guaira area, which lies near the capital Caracas and has been designated a disaster zone, AFP reports.

The coastal city of Catia La Mar in La Guaira state was without electricity, and many people spent the night in the streets or searched for people among the rubble.

“We have nothing, right now we have nothing, not even the strength or the courage to go in there, just imagine,” Larry Rojas, 49, told AFP, standing in front of a collapsed building Catia la Mar where he said his family was trapped.