At least 188 people are dead in Venezuela after 2 earthquakes rocked the country's north

By — Juan Pablo Arraez, Associated Press Juan Pablo Arraez, Associated Press By — Megan Janetsky, Associated Press Megan Janetsky, Associated Press By — Regina Garcia Cano, Associated Press Regina Garcia Cano, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/at-least-188-people-are-dead-in-venezuela-after-2-earthquakes-rocked-the-countrys-north Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter At least 188 people are dead in Venezuela after 2 earthquakes rocked the country's north World Jun 25, 2026 4:14 PM EDT LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelans searched for survivors beneath collapsed buildings Thursday and rescue teams raced to northern areas rocked by a pair of powerful earthquakes that officials say killed at least 188 people and left more than 200 trapped. More were feared dead. The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck Wednesday evening were among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century and were felt throughout the region. Some 1,500 people were injured, thousands were reported missing across the country and buildings were evacuated as far away as Brazil's Amazon. READ MORE: 2 powerful quakes hit Venezuela, killing at least 164 and injuring nearly 1,000 The coastal region of La Guaira, which is north of the capital, Caracas, experienced some of the heaviest damage and casualties, officials said. It's there that the country's main airport was damaged and closed, adding a hurdle to aid efforts. In cities across northern Venezuela, panicked residents poured into the streets and many walked among the debris searching for the missing. Injured children, animals and civilians covered in dust and blood were pulled out of concrete rubble. Some families sobbed in grief in front of their destroyed homes. People walk past a collapsed building, in the aftermath of earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, June 25, 2026. Photo by Maxwell Briceno/ Reuters In La Guaira, retired schoolteacher Juan Alberto Mendaño climbed through wreckage and past a dead body when he spotted a woman who was trapped and signaling with her hand for help. "God, let them rescue her as quickly as possible," said Mendaño. "When we heard the scream, there was nothing we could do." At another damaged apartment complex, residents shouted the names of missing people: "Mirna! Marquitos!" Offers of help poured in from around the world, including from the United States, which seized Venezuela's then-president Nicolas Maduro at the beginning of the year in a surprise military operation. The natural disaster is just the latest challenge for acting President Delcy Rodríguez, the former vice president who took office in January after Maduro's capture. Venezuela has been facing economic disarray for more than a decade, and many people reject the legitimacy of the political movement Rodriguez represents. Rescue teams head to heavily damaged coastal region Jorge Rodriguez, the president of Venezuela's Nat