Thousands of Venezuelans were feared dead on Thursday after two powerful earthquakes devastated areas in and around the capital, Caracas. The quakes left buildings in ruins, trapped people beneath rubble and triggered strong aftershocks across the region.

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck about 160 km (100 miles) west of Caracas on Wednesday afternoon. Less than a minute later, it was followed by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Rescue efforts intensify as earthquake devastation unfolds across Caracas and La Guaira

As darkness fell, emergency crews worked through piles of debris from collapsed buildings in Caracas. Families desperately searched for relatives believed to be trapped, while survivors, many appearing dazed and injured, were carried away on stretchers. “When we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie,” said Maria Alejandra, a resident from a nearby building, who did not give her surname.

“We had to climb over the rubble and everything. The building superintendent with the baby and all the neighbors coming down. But from that building, I only saw that one family got out.”

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said at least 164 people had been confirmed dead and nearly 1,000 injured. She added that the government was working with businesses to deploy heavy machinery and speed up efforts to rescue those still trapped beneath the wreckage.

La Guaira emerges as the hardest-hit area as casualties continue to rise

The worst-affected region was La Guaira state, near Caracas and home to the city’s airport. Videos recorded by witnesses showed panic inside the airport as parts of the ceiling collapsed, while buildings along the seafront were reduced to rubble. “Dozens of buildings have collapsed, and we are currently carrying out very intense rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to save,” Rodriguez said on state television shortly before 1 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Thursday. “La Guaira state is a true tragedy, and has become a disaster zone.”

Near the earthquake’s epicenter in Morón, a small coastal town in Carabobo state, homes collapsed and residents were left without water or electricity. Municipal mayor Emily Riera told Reuters that at least eight people, including three children, were killed in the area.

Missing persons list grows as experts warn death toll could reach thousands

Using predictive modelling, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that the final death toll would most likely reach the thousands, with a significant probability of exceeding 10,000. A website created to track missing people and shared on X by opposition leaders, many of whom are outside Venezuela, showed more than 10,000 people as unaccounted for at 5:40 a.m. local time (0940 GMT).

Many Venezuelans were at home enjoying a public holiday when the earthquakes struck. “There was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I’ve never experienced anything like it,” said Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas.

(with inputs from Reuters)

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