Caracas, 27 June (H.S.): The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week has climbed to nearly 1,000, while thousands of people remain missing, according to interim President Jorge Rodríguez. Rescue teams from several countries continued large-scale search and relief operations on Friday in an effort to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

According to France 24 and other international media reports, President Rodríguez, in a televised address, said the number of fatalities had risen significantly as emergency teams reached the worst-affected areas. He added that thousands of people remain unaccounted for. A website created to help trace missing persons has listed nearly 50,000 people as missing, although the figure has not been independently verified.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the two earthquakes, measuring magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck on Wednesday evening less than a minute apart. The coastal cities of La Guaira and Morón, located about 160 kilometres west of the capital Caracas, suffered the most extensive damage, with numerous buildings collapsing in rapid succession. Preliminary modelling estimates suggest that the final death toll could range between 10,000 and 100,000.

President Rodríguez declared La Guaira a disaster zone, saying dozens of buildings had collapsed and critical infrastructure had suffered severe damage. Around 346 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including eight hospitals and the headquarters of the Venezuelan Red Cross. Simón Bolívar International Airport, which serves Caracas, has been closed after sustaining structural damage.

International rescue teams from the United States, India, Mexico, Spain and El Salvador are among those assisting Venezuelan authorities in search and rescue efforts.

United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher told media that more than 50,000 people remain missing following the twin earthquakes that struck within a minute of each other on Wednesday evening. He said the powerful tremors levelled numerous buildings across northern Venezuela.

The disaster is regarded as the country's most devastating earthquake in more than a century. It comes at a time when the oil-rich nation has been grappling with a prolonged economic crisis that has severely weakened its healthcare system, public services and infrastructure, forcing millions of people to leave the country. Venezuela also remains in a fragile political transition following the removal of former President Nicolás Maduro from power six months ago.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said search-and-rescue teams from at least 17 countries have been mobilised to assist in locating survivors and supporting relief operations.

Earthquakes of comparable magnitude have caused catastrophic loss of life in the past, including the 2010 Haiti earthquake, which claimed more than 200,000 lives, and the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in India, which killed more than 73,000 people.

Authorities also confirmed that foreign nationals were among those killed in the disaster, including 28 Portuguese citizens, five Spanish nationals, two Brazilians, seven Chinese nationals, one Chilean citizen and one Italian-Venezuelan national. The respective governments also reported that 85 Portuguese and 119 Spanish citizens remain missing or unaccounted for.

The twin earthquakes are the strongest ever recorded in Venezuela. The country's previous most powerful recorded earthquake occurred offshore in 1900, registering a magnitude of 7.7.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar