&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "164 dead, around 1,000 injured after powerful quakes, aftershocks rock Venezuela; toll likely to rise further")
The death toll following powerful earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to at least 164 people, with 971 people confirmed injured, said acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez in an update early on Thursday.
The death toll is likely to rise and is feared to be much higher, given the number of collapsed and damaged buildings, as authorities are carrying out search and rescue operations. At least 30 aftershocks have occurred since the main two earthquakes, Rodríguez said.
In an interview with Venezuela’s state broadcaster, Rodríguez said she is coordinating with the United Nations to send rescuers and with the International Monetary Fund to create an initial fund of $200 million for rebuilding the country.
She also appealed to the private sector for help with heavy machinery to assist rescue efforts.
Rodríguez urged Venezuelans to remain calm and “united,” and to stay in their homes if the structures are safe. She further said that Venezuela will hold a national prayer for all religions at 7 pm local time.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
Wednesday evening’s 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region.
Visuals on state TV showed three children being pulled out alive from the rubble in La Guaira state, which Rodríguez described as a “disaster zone”. The area is the hardest hit by the quakes, going by the large number of collapsed buildings.
Rescue teams were deployed to carry out rapid evaluations in the worst-affected areas while mobilising prepositioned relief supplies.
USGS estimates 44% chance of quake toll exceeding 10,000
The US Geological Survey has shared that it estimates a 44% chance of the death toll from Venezuela earthquakes exceeding 10,000 people, and a 30% chance it could surpass 100,000. It also predicted a 45% chance of the economic costs exceeding $10 billion, while adding that the figures are based on a predictive model.
“High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” the USGS said.
The 7.5-magnitude quake was the most powerful since October 29, 1900 when a 7.7-magnitude quake struck offshore.
Venezuela sits in a seismically active zone where the Caribbean and the South American tectonic plates meet.
