Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 32 as US Deploys Rescue Teams

The quakes struck the Venezuelan capital about a minute apart, media reported, toppling residential buildings, damaging businesses and forcing thousands of residents to take to the streets.

Authorities were still assessing the scale of the destruction. In Baruta, a municipality in the Caracas metropolitan area, Mayor Darwin González said three people died when two buildings came down. Other residents trapped inside were rescued and those injured were receiving medical treatment, he said.

Many people spent the night outdoors as officials warned of possible aftershocks and inspected damaged structures. Some residents were reluctant to return home, fearing weakened buildings could collapse.

Photographs from Caracas and the nearby coastal state of La Guaira showed piles of concrete and twisted debris where residential buildings once stood. Shopfronts and railings were also damaged in parts of the capital.

The United States said it was preparing an emergency response. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was immediately deploying search-and-rescue teams, humanitarian aid and medical resources.

"Our hearts are with all those who have lost loved ones, those injured, and the courageous rescue workers working tirelessly in the aftermath," Rubio wrote on X.

His comments came after Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said US officials were in contact with Venezuelan authorities and were mobilising assistance.

Rodríguez later thanked US President Donald Trump for the offer of support, saying on social media that Washington had expressed solidarity with Venezuela after the disaster. Trump said earlier that the United States stood ready to help and had instructed government agencies to prepare for a rapid deployment if needed.

The full human cost of the disaster remains unclear. Reuters reported that Venezuelan authorities had not yet released a final assessment of casualties, while rescue operations continued in the hardest-hit areas.

International media have described extensive damage in and around Caracas. The BBC reported collapses of residential buildings in the capital and said emergency crews were still searching through rubble. Germany's DW said the quake reached a magnitude of 7.1 and was felt beyond Venezuela's borders, including in parts of neighbouring Colombia.

Seismologists have warned that the eventual death toll could rise significantly. The US Geological Survey estimated a 44% probability of more than 10,000 fatalities and a 30% probability of more than 100,000 deaths following the second major earthquake, though those figures are projections rather than confirmed casualty counts.

For now, rescue workers remain focused on locating survivors as engineers inspect damaged neighbourhoods across the capital and surrounding districts.