Families search rubble as Venezuela quake death toll climbs to 164

Families in Venezuela searched collapsed buildings and phone screens side by side on Thursday, turning to neighborhood patrols, social media posts and improvised missing-person lists as the official rescue response struggled to keep pace with the scale of the disaster. The effort came after two powerful earthquakes struck less than a minute apart on June 24, leaving at least 164 people dead and 971 injured.

The shocks, measured at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, tore through Caracas and surrounding areas, including La Guaira and northern Venezuela, bringing down buildings, knocking out power and disrupting communications. The main airport was closed and panicked residents poured into the streets as aftershocks continued to rattle the capital.

The human toll was still climbing. United Nations officials said people were likely trapped in Caracas and beyond. Initial reports showed significant destruction across several states, including the capital. Antonio Guterres expressed condolences for the loss of life and the widespread damage, and international assistance began arriving as rescue teams were deployed.

The U.S. Department of State said the U.S. Geological Survey issued red PAGER alerts for both earthquakes, signaling high likely loss of life and extensive damage. Washington was sending a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team and urban search-and-rescue teams as the scope of the damage became clearer.

For families, the search moved through damaged neighborhoods, comparing names, photos and fragments of information in the hope of finding someone alive. Missing children and relatives were among those listed under the rubble, while a social-media-based registry of missing people appeared quickly online. That effort unfolded alongside blackouts, damaged networks and censorship concerns that made it harder to confirm who had been found.

The earthquakes cut off communications and power in some areas, forced children and families from their homes, and separated some children from their relatives in the chaos. Preventive evacuations had been carried out in several cities as people tried to escape further collapse.