Rescuers rush to save lives as Venezuela earthquakes kill at least 235
Jorge Rodríguez said 250 buildings were damaged or lost, mostly in La Guaira. BBC confirmed the images of a 10-storey hotel in ruins. On Thursday, people were there looking for their loved ones.
Juan Ortiz told the BBC that one of his close friends was confirmed dead, another was believed to be buried under rubble, and about 20 people he knew living in the coastal area were missing.
“I am in shock and confusion and frustrated that I cannot help,” said the medical student in Caracas.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said that buildings were also destroyed in the capital, and Trujillo, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Aragua and Miranda were also affected.
Gustavo Duque, the mayor of Chacao, which forms part of the larger metropolitan area of Caracas, said 11 people were killed and 23 people were rescued outside a collapsed building on Thursday.
In a video update posted on social media, he said the team was trying to clear the debris so experts could intervene “to reach people who we hope are still alive.”
“We are trying to save as many living people as possible,” he said.
Venezuela’s main international airport in Maiquetía on the outskirts of Caracas has been closed due to serious damage, the country’s interim president said. Video taken from inside the terminal showed dust and debris falling from the ceiling.
Another verified video, about 250 km (155 miles) northwest of Caracas, shows the collapse of a high-rise building, reportedly a hotel, in coastal Tucacas.
Delcy Rodríguez told state broadcaster Venezolana de Televisión that aftershocks continued to ripple through the region, with at least 30 earthquakes recorded after the two earthquakes.
