Venezuela earthquake highlights: Over 160 people dead, 11,000 reported missing; La Guaira declared ‘disaster zone’

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela has urged authorities to restore full access to social networks and media outlets following the earthquakes. It said timely communication is essential for public safety and disaster response.

In a statement, the mission expressed “profound dismay” at the situation and called on regulators to act “as a priority and immediate measure” so that the National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) allows access to networks.

It stressed that “in the coming hours and days, timely access to reliable information and communication channels will be vital for the protection of the lives, safety, and well-being of the population,” and warned that the disaster “further aggravates the needs of the population” amid existing challenges.

The mission also said the response must follow human rights standards to ensure “the needs and dignity of individuals remain central” during recovery efforts.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Venezuela’s state telecom company CANTV said it will make internet, fixed telephone, and television services free for 48 hours following the earthquakes. The company said the measure was introduced in response to the emergency caused by the disaster.

In a statement, CANTV said the decision was taken “in response to the contingency situation generated by the recent earthquakes that occurred in the national territory.”

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Rubio said Washington will assess conditions in Venezuela over the next 48 hours before defining longer-term recovery support following the earthquakes.

“There will be a better assessment of the situation ‘after the next 48 hours’,” he said, adding that a second phase will focus on identifying both immediate and longer-term needs as damage becomes clearer on the ground.

“We’ll have a better assessment of that after the next 48 hours when we are on the ground and as the Venezuelan authorities get more visibility regarding the level of damage in terms of housing,” he told reporters in Manama, Bahrain.

He also said the US will explore support for restoring disrupted digital infrastructure, adding that “the US will see what can be done to help Venezuela restore the internet and telecommunications.”

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Spain’s defence ministry said it has 54 army search-and-rescue personnel ready to deploy to Venezuela following the devastating twin earthquakes. The unit specializes in disaster response and is equipped with trained search dogs, rescue cameras, and geophones - devices used to detect sounds and movements under collapsed structures.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: The Venezuelan government is urging residents to stay indoors if their buildings are structurally safe. Authorities have also taken sweeping precautionary measures across the capital.

The education ministry has suspended classes, while the Supreme Court has halted its activities as part of the emergency response. Public transport has been heavily disrupted, with metro and railway services suspended in Caracas, and Simón Bolívar International Airport temporarily closed. (CNN)

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: US oil giant Chevron said all of its employees in Venezuela have been accounted for after the two powerful earthquakes. The company, which has the largest US oil presence in the country, said operations continue despite widespread power outages and disruptions along the north coast. In a statement, a spokesperson expressed sorrow over the loss of life, saying Chevron stands “in solidarity with the country and its people” and remains committed to supporting staff and nearby communities while ensuring safe operations.

The company has maintained a presence in Venezuela even as other US oil firms exited in 2007, and the disaster now raises questions about potential impacts on oil production and exports at a sensitive moment for global energy markets. (CNN)

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: French President Emmanuel Macron said 85 French search-and-rescue specialists are being immediately deployed to Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes. He added that he had spoken with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez and expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people. France, he said, along with its partners, stands ready to provide further assistance.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Seismologists warn that recovery in Venezuela remains highly risky due to the threat of aftershocks. Adam Pascale, chief scientist at the Seismology Research Centre in Australia, said there must be “very great awareness” of the danger, especially for rescue teams working on the ground. He told Al Jazeera that “it is a very dangerous time for those undertaking the recovery.”

He also noted that, beyond aftershocks, there is a small possibility of another quake of similar or greater magnitude, though this risk decreases significantly after the first few days.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States will provide a “big, fast and effective” response following the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. In a post on X, he expressed condolences to victims and their families, extended support to those injured, and praised rescue workers on the ground. He added that, on President Trump’s direction, the State Department is immediately sending search and rescue teams, medical aid, and humanitarian assistance to help with relief efforts. (AFP)

The US secretary of state says his country has already deployed search and rescue teams to Venezuela from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. “There will be some others,” he said, speaking to reporters in Manama, Bahrain. “We are also helping them with some overhead imagery,” the US top diplomat said.

“Especially in coastal areas where they don’t have full visibility over what the damage has been, and what the impact has been,” Rubio added.

“Those are the acute short-term needs over the next 48 to 72 hours,” he said.

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Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Specialist rescue teams coordinated by the United Nations are on their way to Venezuela, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on Thursday.

The teams are expected to assist local authorities and emergency services as search-and-rescue operations continue in areas devastated by the powerful earthquakes that struck the country on Wednesday evening local time.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez said around 30 aftershocks have been recorded following the two powerful earthquakes that struck the country, reported AFP.

The aftershocks came after the back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude tremors that caused widespread destruction, killed hundreds of people and left nearly thousand injured.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez said authorities are moving rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, one of the regions worst affected by the earthquakes.

Located on Venezuela's northern coast, just north of Caracas, La Guaira has suffered extensive damage, with numerous buildings collapsing in the powerful tremors.

Rodríguez said officials were working to maximize daylight hours as rescuers race to reach people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.

“Dozens of buildings have collapsed there ... and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” she said.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: French President Emmanuel Macron said France will deploy 85 rescue workers to Venezuela to assist with search-and-rescue operations following the devastating earthquakes.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: The death toll from Venezuela's devastating earthquakes has climbed to at least 164, with 971 people injured, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on Thursday.

The sharp increase in casualties comes as rescue teams continue searching through collapsed buildings and debris in some of the hardest-hit areas.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: A photograph from Caraballeda in Venezuela's La Guaira state shows a car crushed beneath the rubble of a collapsed building.

La Guaira has emerged as one of the hardest-hit regions, with authorities reporting extensive structural damage and ongoing rescue operations.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Fears are growing that the death toll from Venezuela's devastating earthquakes could rise sharply as rescue teams continue searching for survivors beneath collapsed buildings in and around Caracas, multiple media oulets reported.

Authorities have so far confirmed at least 32 deaths and more than 700 injuries, but emergency crews are still working to reach heavily damaged areas and locate people believed to be trapped under the rubble.

The disaster was triggered by two powerful earthquakes that struck less than a minute apart on Wednesday evening – a magnitude 7.2 quake followed by an even stronger 7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Germany is prepared to deploy up to six military transport aircraft to support relief operations in earthquake-hit Venezuela, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday, reported news agency AFP.

"It is crucial to provide swift assistance," Pistorius said, adding that he was "deeply shocked" by the devastation caused by the earthquakes.

"The German armed forces stands ready and can make up to six A400M transport aircraft available at short notice as soon as support is requested from us," he said.

According to Pistorius, crews are already preparing for a possible deployment. The aircraft could be used to transport rescue workers, humanitarian supplies and equipment from Germany to Venezuela, as well as support operations within the country.

He added that the planes and their crews have extensive experience in humanitarian and disaster-relief missions.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: The Venezuela event was a seismic doublet, as per the USGS, meaning two large earthquakes of similar size occurred very close together in both time and location. The sequence began with a magnitude 7.2 foreshock, which was followed just 39 seconds later by a larger magnitude 7.5 mainshock. Unlike a typical earthquake sequence, where a single major earthquake is followed by smaller aftershocks, a doublet involves two comparably powerful events occurring in rapid succession. Scientists believe the first earthquake likely altered stresses on nearby sections of the fault, helping to trigger the second rupture almost immediately.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: UN-appointed experts on Thursday reportedly called on Venezuelan authorities to immediately restore access to social media platforms and news outlets, arguing that the flow of information is critical as the country responds to the devastating earthquakes.

In a statement, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela said the disaster was a major setback for a country already facing significant challenges.

"For a country already facing enormous challenges this is a devastating blow," the experts said.

They urged authorities to ensure that human rights guide both the national and international response to the disaster and called on telecommunications regulator CONATEL to fully restore access to social media and media platforms.

"As a critical first step, it is vital that CONATEL, the country's telecommunications regulator, fully unblock access to social media and all media outlets," the statement said.

The experts added that access to information in the aftermath of the earthquakes could be "a matter of life and death" as families search for loved ones and emergency responders coordinate rescue efforts, reported news agency AFP.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: The European Union on Thursday said it has activated its satellite-based Copernicus monitoring system to support recovery and damage assessment efforts in Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes.

EU aid commissioner Hadja Lahbib said the bloc stands ready to provide additional assistance as the situation develops.

"Copernicus is activated and we stand ready to step up assistance," Lahbib wrote in a post on X.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Germany has offered six military transport aircraft to support relief and rescue operations in Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes that have killed at least 32 people and injured hundreds, reported AFP.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: The 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck Venezuela on Wednesday is the strongest to hit the country in more than a century, according to data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) cited by AFP.

The agency said the last stronger earthquake recorded in Venezuela occurred on October 29, 1900, when a 7.7-magnitude offshore tremor caused extensive damage to churches, public buildings and homes.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Cellphone service has reportedly been disrupted across parts of Venezuela following the powerful earthquakes.

According to an AP report, the communication outages have also heightened anxiety among families trying to contact loved ones, particularly within Venezuela's large diaspora. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have left the country in recent years.

Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez said on Thursday that she spoke by phone with US secretary of state Marco Rubio following the devastating earthquakes.

In a post on X, Rodríguez said Rubio conveyed his support for Venezuela as the country continues rescue and recovery operations.

"I spoke by phone with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, who expressed his solidarity and support for the Venezuelan people during these difficult times for our nation," Rodríguez wrote.

She thanked the United States for the gesture, adding: "We appreciate this expression of solidarity with Venezuela during such a challenging period, marked by the impact of the natural disaster that has affected several regions of the country."