A rare double earthquake struck Venezuela on Wednesday, killing at least 188 people and leaving more than 200 trapped, with many more feared dead.
Thousands have been reported missing and about 1,500 injured. The heaviest damage and casualties occurred in La Guaira, the coastal region north of the capital, Caracas.
Here’s what you need to know about the quakes and the ongoing search for survivors:
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 7.2‑magnitude foreshock and a 7.5‑magnitude mainshock hit 39 seconds apart along the San Sebastian fault on Venezuela’s northern coast.
These rank among the strongest earthquakes to hit the South American nation in over a century.
The first quake, a 7.2‑magnitude foreshock, struck west of Morón on the Caribbean coast, roughly 170 km (105 mi) west of Caracas at a depth of 22 km (14 mi).
The second, a 7.5‑magnitude mainshock, was centered 16 km (10 mi) southwest of Morón, at a depth of 10 km (6 mi).
The back‑to‑back events — termed a doublet because of their similar magnitude, timing and proximity — resulted from shallow strike‑slip faulting near the complex plate boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, the USGS said.
Rescue crews expect the death toll to rise as they sift through toppled buildings.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said rescue teams from elsewhere in the country have been deployed to La Guaira, where dozens of buildings have collapsed.
She described the city, about 165 km (103 mi) east of the 7.5‑magnitude quake’s epicenter, as a “disaster zone.”
Civilians and authorities pulled survivors from concrete rubble, many covered in dust and blood. Families wept in front of destroyed homes.
Relatives began posting missing‑person flyers with photos of loved ones, while others shared handwritten lists of names as they searched for those still unaccounted for.
The tremors damaged structures in Caracas and prompted evacuations as far away as Brazil’s Amazon, roughly 1,700 km (1,050 mi) distant.
In downtown Caracas, hundreds spent the night huddled in parks, parking lots and other open spaces.
Parts of the city lost power and cell service; the main airport in Caracas was damaged and closed, subway service halted and natural gas shut off.
Classes will be canceled for several days as schools are turned into shelters and donation centers.
Rodríguez announced the creation of a $200 million reconstruction fund for hospitals and homes damaged by the earthquakes.
The earthquakes add to the crises facing Rodríguez, the former vice president who assumed office in January after the United States detained former President Nicolás Maduro.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are jailed in New York City awaiting trial on drug‑trafficking charges.
Rodríguez inherited a nation that has endured economic turmoil for more than a decade.
Many Venezuelans question the legitimacy of her political movement, while some loyalists criticize her leadership and her warming ties with the United States.
The United States said on Thursday it will send two specialized urban search‑and‑rescue teams to Venezuela and provide $150 million in aid through NGOs and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The UN added that international search‑and‑rescue teams are expected to begin arriving “in the coming hours.”
Other nations sending assistance include Qatar and Mexico.
Venezuelans living in the United States are organizing donation drives; more than 770,000 Venezuelans reside in the U.S., with large communities in Florida, Texas and Utah.
