Venezuela earthquake death toll rises to 164, over 970 injured

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on Thursday that the death toll from the earthquakes had reached 164, with at least 971 people injured. On Wednesday evening, two strong quakes struck near the coastal city of Morón – magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The first quake was followed just 39 seconds later by an even stronger one, and about 30 aftershocks were recorded.

The hardest-hit states are Trujillo, Carabobo, Miranda, and La Guaira. A state of emergency has been declared. Social media has been flooded with eyewitness videos capturing panic at airports and elsewhere, but rescue operations are being coordinated by state authorities.