164 dead, thousands injured as crisis unfolds in Venezuela

Two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on Thursday, killing at least 164 people and injuring nearly 1,000 in one of the country's worst natural disasters in over a century. A magnitude 7.2 quake was followed 39 seconds later by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake, causing dozens of buildings to collapse in Caracas and coastal La Guaira, with widespread power and communications outages hampering rescue efforts.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency as search teams worked through collapsed structures for survivors. Officials warned casualty figures could rise as rescue operations reached remote areas. The U.S. Geological Survey issued its highest-level alert, and international assistance began arriving from governments and humanitarian organizations offering rescue teams and medical supplies.