Two Earthquakes Kill 164 in Venezuela as Rescue Teams Arrive from U.S., Qatar and El Salvador

Two earthquakes struck west of Caracas, Venezuela, on June 24, killing at least 164 people and injuring more than 900, @CBSNews reported. The quakes measured 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude and occurred within one minute of each other at a depth of about six miles. La Guaira state on the northern coast suffered the heaviest damage.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and said the death toll is expected to rise as rescuers search collapsed buildings. Shaking was felt in parts of Colombia and Brazil, and tsunami alerts were issued. Journalist Tony Frangie was riding an elevator in a Caracas building when the first quake hit.

He had been heading out to watch a World Cup match. The elevator stopped in the basement, and Frangie later found the structure still standing after he reached the street. Resident Antonio Bermudez was in his living room in La Guaira when the shaking began suddenly.

He escaped before his building collapsed. In the Catia La Mar neighborhood, resident Yilsmaris Blanco said nearly 200 housing towers stood before the quakes and described scenes where everything collapsed. U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Rodríguez on the morning of June 25 and said the United States had already sent search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. Qatar and El Salvador also offered assistance. Rubio said the focus remains on the human impact rather than broader diplomatic matters.

Jose Pacheco, operations chief of the United Rescue Group of Venezuela, said he had not seen damage on this scale in 30 years of work and called for specialized technical teams from Caracas.