Hunt for survivors continues in Venezuela after two deadly earthquakes

The search for survivors continues across cities in northern Venezuela after two earthquakes hit the country on Thursday.

Officials say 235 people were killed and at least 4,300 are believed to be injured.

The number of casualties is expected to rise as thousands of people have been reported missing.

The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that hit on Wednesday evening were among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century.

Venezuelan state TV showed images of rescues, including a woman who was trapped under a cement slab with only a bare foot poking out before rescuers slid her out alive.

The coastal region of La Guaira, north of the capital Caracas, suffered some of the heaviest damage and casualties, and it where the main airport is based.

It was closed due to damage, which has complicated aid efforts.

People camp in the street the night after the earthquake struck Caracas, Venezuela on Thursday. / Credit: AP

Many were stunned on Thursday morning as they saw buildings had been reduced to skeletons, furniture hanging out of windows and helicopters overhead. Buildings were flattened and streets were cracked open.

Families posted missing-person flyers with photos of loved ones while others shared handwritten lists of names as they searched.

Venezuelans abroad struggled to make contact with relatives due to interrupted phone service in the country.

In downtown Caracas, hundreds spent the night huddled in parks, parking lots and other open spaces.

The natural disaster is the latest challenge for acting President Delcy Rodríguez, the former vice president who took office in January after Nicolás Maduro’s capture.

Venezuela has been facing economic disarray for more than a decade, and many people reject the legitimacy of the political movement Rodríguez represents.

Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation late Wednesday. She said the government was creating a $200 million (£151m) reconstruction fund for damaged hospitals and homes.

She appealed to businesses on Thursday, asking them to make heavy construction equipment available for rescue operations.

“We hope to rescue as many living people as possible,” Rodríguez said.