Venezuela races to find survivors after powerful earthquakes kill 164

Rescuers raced through collapsed buildings in northern Venezuela on Thursday as the death toll from back-to-back earthquakes climbed to at least 164 and Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía suspended operations after reporting structural damage, including a partial terminal ceiling collapse.

The two quakes struck about 39 seconds apart around 6 p.m. local time on June 24, with preliminary magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5. More than 20 aftershocks followed, deepening damage in Caracas and hitting La Guaira state hardest. Authorities said the tremors triggered widespread evacuations and left major parts of the capital under strain as emergency crews moved into affected neighborhoods.

The human toll rose sharply as the search continued. Early official figures put the death toll at 32 with more than 700 injured, but acting President Delcy Rodríguez later said at least 164 people were dead and 971 were injured. Hundreds of people were trapped under rubble, and many more were still unaccounted for as crews worked through damaged apartment blocks and other collapsed structures.

The airport shutdown carried immediate consequences beyond travel. Simón Bolívar International Airport is the main gateway serving Caracas, and its closure disrupted flights just as officials were trying to coordinate rescue work, evacuations and the movement of supplies. With the terminal damaged and operations suspended, one of the country’s most important transport links was out of service at the same time the government was trying to show control over the response.

Venezuela declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes, activated emergency operations and suspended metro and rail services, according to UN OCHA. The agency said international rescue teams were being deployed, alongside the Venezuelan Red Cross, as the country faced the dual challenge of finding survivors and stabilizing critical infrastructure. Venezuelan migrants in the United States also moved quickly to send aid to relatives and friends caught in the disaster.

The recovery effort was unfolding against a volatile aftershock sequence, with officials warning that the toll could still rise. In the hardest-hit areas around Caracas and La Guaira state, the central question was not whether the transportation system could be restored, but how fast authorities could reach people still buried beneath the rubble.