32 killed, over 700 injured in Venezuelan back-to-back earthquakes

At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela within seconds of each other.

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez provided the latest casualty update in an official statement released early Thursday (June 25).

According to acting President Delcy Rodríguez, the northern coastal state of La Guaira suffered the worst damage, with numerous buildings collapsing completely.

Describing the situation as a “disaster zone,” she warned that the casualty figure is expected to rise as communication with several affected areas remains disrupted.

The twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, struck western Venezuela on Wednesday evening around 6:04pm (local time). The tremors were felt hundreds of kilometres away, including in neighbouring Colombia, causing panic among residents across the region.

Emergency crews have been working through the night in the capital Caracas, searching for survivors trapped beneath collapsed structures.

Witnesses reported hearing cries for help from under the rubble as rescue teams raced against time.

The powerful tremors also caused major disruptions to public services. Large parts of Caracas experienced power outages, while the city's metro system was completely shut down.

Authorities reported extensive structural damage to residential and commercial buildings.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) earlier warned of a high risk of catastrophic losses, estimating a 44 percent probability of fatalities exceeding 10,000 and a 30 percent chance of deaths surpassing 100,000 in a worst-case scenario.

The disaster struck on a national holiday, when many families were at home, increasing the potential human impact of the earthquakes.

Government agencies, military personnel and emergency responders have been deployed across affected regions, while authorities continue assessing the full scale of the destruction.

Rescue operations remain underway, with officials warning that both the death toll and the number of injured could rise significantly in the coming hours.