State of emergency declared, damaged Caracas airport closed
Tom Phillips
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, has announced a state of emergency. “We ask the population to remain calm and united,” she said on state TV.
Rodríguez said the country’s main airport had been closed after suffering “severe damage” and announced that the metro and train systems had been halted. “We send our immediate condolences to those who have lost relatives,” Rodríguez added, although she did not say how many casualties or fatalities there had been.
Rodríguez urged citizens to evacuate damaged buildings.
Key events
More information is trickling in from officials, reporting collapsed buildings, injuries and missing people, as emergency workers attempt rescue operations under darkness.
Carmen Meléndez, the mayor of Caracas, is in the residential neighbourhood, San Bernardino with Nicolás Maduro’s son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, says Guardian reporter Camille Rodríguez Montilla. They told Montilla they are “out on the street, working”.
The mayor of the Chacao municipality in Caracas, Gustavo Duque, said several buildings collapsed, and 18 survivors were extracted from one building alone, Reuters reports.
“We’re going to do everything we can to rescue the most people possible,” he said. He urged onlookers to seek shelter and aid at public plazas because there could be aftershocks.
Twenty-two people were injured in the coastal state of Falcon, and 15 adults were missing, Governor Victor Clark said.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said earlier on state television buildings, homes and houses had collapsed.
“We are taking care of things with everything we have available in terms of security, civil assistance.”
The US will deploy a disaster assistance team to Venezuela, Jeremy Lewin, the US under secretary of state for foreign assistance, has posted to X.
“Working with our partners in the interim Venezuelan government, the U.S. will be sending search and rescue teams, medical and humanitarian supplies and other resources in the crucial first days after this tragic natural disaster,” he said.
The US embassy in Caracas, meanwhile, says all US personnel are accounted for.
Tom Phillips
This video shows how the earthquakes were felt at the JW Marriott hotel in Caracas.
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The five-star hotel has become the nerve centre of the US intervention in Venezuela since the 3 January abduction of president Nicolás Maduro.
Since Donald Trump’s invasion, the Marriott has served as the home of the dozens of North American officials, diplomats and spies who now call the shots in Venezuela, a country many believe has become a US protectorate – and which Trump has even said he hopes to turn into the 51st state.
The US is mobilising assistance for Venezuela, a US state department official has told Reuters. There were no details about what form the assistance would take.
Here’s a map to illustrate the epicentre of the earthquakes, in relation to Caracas.
It has just gone 10.15pm in Caracas. As darkness settles over the capital, we have some more photos from the desperate rescue efforts that will continue through the night.
Tom Phillips
Amid fears over a potentially large number of casualties, Rodríguez called on doctors, nurses and other health workers “to make their way to their work stations”.
Worst affected: Caracas, Miranda, La Guaira, Aragua, Carabobo and Falcón
Tom Phillips
Rodríguez has placed Gen Juan Ernesto Sulbarán Quintero, the head of the Bolivarian National Guard gendarmerie, in charge of the military earthquake response.
Rodríguez said that besides the capital, Caracas, the worst affected regions were the states of Miranda, La Guaira, Aragua, Carabobo and Falcón.
State of emergency declared, damaged Caracas airport closed
Tom Phillips
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, has announced a state of emergency. “We ask the population to remain calm and united,” she said on state TV.
Rodríguez said the country’s main airport had been closed after suffering “severe damage” and announced that the metro and train systems had been halted. “We send our immediate condolences to those who have lost relatives,” Rodríguez added, although she did not say how many casualties or fatalities there had been.
Rodríguez urged citizens to evacuate damaged buildings.
Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, is speaking now. We’ll bring you the top lines.
