A woman was pulled alive from the debris of a collapsed building in La Guaira, Venezuela, following two powerful earthquakes that struck the country on Wednesday evening. The quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, are among the strongest to hit Venezuela in over a century and caused widespread damage.
The rescue of Graciela Mora, who was found covered in dust and sustained a broken finger, was captured on video. She recounted being trapped when floors collapsed around her and described a friend who died while holding her hand. "I saw her hand like that and grabbed it. So that she could go," Mora said.
The official death toll had climbed to 589 by Friday, with thousands more reported injured. Authorities anticipate the casualty count will continue to rise as rescue efforts persist for thousands of people still missing. Children were among those rescued, some covered in dust and blood.
Dramatic footage also showed a one-month-old baby found alive in rubble and a woman rescued from beneath a cement slab. However, reports indicated a limited presence of government search teams outside the capital, Caracas.
La Guaira, a coastal city north of Caracas, experienced some of the most severe damage and highest casualty numbers. The city's main airport sustained damage and was closed, hindering aid delivery. Buildings were flattened, streets cracked, and residents described seeing structures reduced to skeletons. Families have posted missing-person flyers and shared handwritten lists in their search for loved ones. Phone service disruptions have made it difficult for Venezuelans abroad to contact relatives.
In response to the disaster, acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and announced the creation of a $200 million reconstruction fund for damaged homes and hospitals. She also appealed to businesses for heavy construction equipment to aid rescue operations. "We hope to rescue as many living people as possible," Rodríguez stated.
While Venezuela is situated near multiple fault lines, its location on the boundary of the South American and Caribbean plates makes major earthquakes less frequent than in other Latin American regions. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the earthquakes were centered near Moron on the Caribbean coast. Geophysicists noted that the combination of the two quakes and their shallow seismic movements amplified the destruction.
Following calls from United Nations officials to lift restrictions, access to the social media platform X was restored for Venezuelans. The platform had been blocked since August 2024 by then-President Nicolás Maduro. [IMAGE2]