Venezuela races to find survivors after powerful earthquakes kill 188

Rescuers searched collapsed buildings in Caracas and La Guaira on Thursday as the toll from twin earthquakes climbed to 188 dead, 1,520 injured and about 200 people trapped, with the critical rescue window narrowing by the hour. The quakes, measured at 7.2 and 7.5, struck less than a minute apart on Wednesday and were described as the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than 125 years.

Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency as crews pushed into the hardest-hit neighborhoods, where buildings had collapsed and hospitals and other facilities had been damaged. OCHA’s situation report said Maiquetía International Airport was closed and metro and rail services were suspended, underscoring how quickly the quake had begun to disrupt the systems people need to survive after the shaking stops.

The United Nations moved to reinforce the response. OCHA said it was coordinating the rapid deployment of Urban Search and Rescue teams from across the international community through the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, while relief chief Tom Fletcher said the agency was fully mobilized and in close contact with its team in Caracas. António Guterres said the UN was mobilizing to help people in need as international assistance started to arrive.

The harder phase now comes after the first rescues. Families who lost homes and access to clinics need shelter, potable water, sanitation, food and medical care immediately, or the disaster can shift from a search-and-rescue operation into a longer public-health emergency. OCHA said the earthquakes risked deepening vulnerabilities in Venezuela, where nearly 8 million people were already in need of humanitarian support before the quakes hit.