Summary

  • Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez says she is hopeful that teams will find survivors of Wednesday's deadly earthquakes

  • Rescue efforts are continuing for a third day after two back-to-back quakes struck the country, killing at least 920 and injuring more than 3,360 people

  • The UN's aid chief tells the BBC that today is "crucial" for relief efforts as international rescue teams arrive in the country

  • An update from Rodríguez on Friday put the number of trapped people at 172 - but tens of thousands of people are reported missing on a civilian-led rescue database

  • The quakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, hit less than a minute apart while most were home for a national holiday - how locals are describing the scenes

Live Reporting

Edited by Jenna Moon and Andrew Humphrey

  1. This feels like the hardest moment in Venezuela's modern history

    Will Grant
    Reporting from Caracas

    With each morning that Venezuelans wake to the aftermath of the dual earthquakes, it is a little darker, a little more grim.

    It is another night in which the prayers for the miraculous recovery of missing loved one went unanswered, in which the fitful sleep for the survivors is interrupted by nightmares of collapsed buildings and moments of sheer panic.

    For ex-policeman Jan Carlos Roa Garcia and his family, it was another night sleeping rough. Their building in Caracas wasn't brought down but is too dangerous to return to.

    Tears rolling down his cheeks, he says he’s not sure he even knows how to rebuild his family’s life again. "If I was thirty and not fifty, then maybe. But I don't know where to begin. And so far, no-one in authority has contacted us."

    At the scene of the worst hit areas - particularly the coastal town of La Guaira - the rescue teams have worked through another night showing impressive resilience and focus to try to reach those trapped relatives.

    Videos are circulating on social media of the workers successfully pulling out survivors with typical Venezuelan good humour and spirit which bring a lump to the throat.

    This feels like the hardest moment in Venezuela's modern history in a country that has had more than its fair share in recent years.

  2. Two deadly earthquakes hit Venezuela - a timeline

    Matt Spivey
    Live reporter

    rescue workers look through rubble.Getty Images

    Wednesday

    At 18:04 local time (23:04 BST) an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 strikes in the north of Venezuela.

    About 39 seconds later a second earthquake of magnitude 7.5 strikes 28km (17.4 miles) south-east of Yumare, a town in Yaracuy state. This was the strongest to hit the country since 1900.

    Thursday

    At around 00:50, Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez reports at least 32 deaths and more than 700 injured. She says this doesn’t include any figures from the state most affected by the earthquakes, La Guaira.

    As rescuers and the army mobilise to clear debris, aid groups around the world scramble to deliver help to Venezuela, with the US pledging $150m (£113.4m) in assistance.

    Friday

    By the morning, support teams from countries including Mexico, El Salvador, Switzerland and Spain land in Venezuela, with personnel from more countries and organisations expected.

    Around 08:30 local time (13:30 BST) Rodriguez says the death toll has risen to 589 people and the number of injured stands at 2,980. She adds that the hard-hit state of La Guaira will be "militarised".

    The death toll updates again at around 13:30, asVenezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodríguez said at least 920 people have been killed and at least 3,360 injured.

    Saturday

    The search for survivors continues, as Rodríguez says she has faith teams will find the survivors among the rubble.

  3. More international rescue teams head to Venezuela

    The UN's aid chief Tom Fletcher has praised the global response to the earthquakes, telling Radio 4's Today programme that almost 2,000 international workers have come to Venezuela to help with rescue efforts.

    These are some of the latest pictures of international rescue teams heading to the country.

    A group of people in red sweatshirts and caps walk through an airportReuters

    A Mexican rescue team prepare to head to Venezuela

    A group of people wearing red sweatshirts and caps gather in a huddle in a white-walled roomReuters

    This group of rescue workers - the Topos Tlatelolco Rescue Brigade - follow a large number of rescue personnel already sent by Mexico on Friday

    Rows of rescue workers stand on the tarmac by a plane at night timeReuters

    French rescue troops also departed the country for Venezuela late on Friday night

    Bags of equipment and supplies are prepared by troops on the tarmac outside of a planeReuters

    The troops are drawn from France's 7th Civil Security Training and Intervention Regiment

  4. Share your stories of the earthquakes

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    Are you in Venezuela and did you experience the earthquakes?

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  5. 'We have faith we are going to rescue them', says Venezuela's president

    Acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez says that the "priority" is rescuing those still alive.

    In a video message posted by the Venezuelan government, she thanks all the emergency responders for their work in the recovery efforts so far.

    The "most strategic thing" is the rescuing of the people who are still alive, that "is our priority", she says.

    "We have faith and hope that we are going to rescue them," she adds.

  6. New footage shows moments after quakes hit

    Three days on from the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, new footage showing the moments immediately following the quakes has emerged.

    The footage shows dust rising and people gathering on the streets of Caracas, taking stock of the damage and comforting each other.

    Footage shows panic on streets of Caracas after quakes hit

  7. 'Deeply saddened': King sends condolences to Venezuelans

    King Charles III wears a navy suit and striped tie, next to him Camilla is wearing a white jacket, they stand in front of a stony wall outsidePA Media

    King Charles III says that he and Queen Camilla were "deeply saddened to learn of the devastating earthquakes" and the "tragic loss of life and suffering they have caused", in a public statement addressed to the people of Venezuela.

    "As this most difficult of times, we send our profound sympathy to all those who have lost loved ones," it says, adding that "we greatly admire the resilience and strength of the Venezuelan people".

    Acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez has thanked the King for his message on her social media. "We value this gesture of support" and the "recognition of the strength of our people", she says.

  8. Almost 2,000 international rescuers flown into Venezuela - UN aid chief

    About a dozen rescue workers dressed in tan trousers and blue shirts, with orange helmets, walk across the tarmac onto a planeEPA/Shutterstock

    A rescue team from the Netherlands departing Eindhovan Air Base for Venezuela on Friday

    The UN's humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher says the global response to the deadly earthquakes has been "really good".

    With teams pouring in from Russia, Ukraine, America, Europe and the Middle East, "politics all falls away at this point," he tells the Today programme.

    Fletcher says that the UN has currently deployed 39 rescue teams and has seen almost 2,000 international rescue workers surging in to Venezuela to help.

    The UN teams also have 111 rescue dogs, he says. Their strong sense of smell and ability to navigate tricky terrain make dogs critically important in search and rescue.

    With the UN having lost "almost half" its aid budget in the last 18 months, funding is a challenge, says Fletcher.

  9. At least 40 foreign nationals killed in quakes - reports

    Devastating back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela have killed at least 920 people, according to officials.

    Among them are a number of foreign nationals. Here's what we have learned from international media reports.

    In an update from Beja Airbase last night, Secretary of State for Communities Emídio Sousa said 28 Portuguese nationals had been killed, according to local media outlets.

    Seven Chinese nationals have been killed, Xinhua News Agency reported citing the Chinese embassy in Venezuela.

    Spanish media reports five nationals have been killed and 119 remain missing, citing Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares.

    Two Brazilian citizens were also among those killed, the government confirmed.

    Italy's foreign ministry reports the death of an Italian-Venezuelan national following the twin earthquakes.

  10. Today 'crucial' for rescue, UN chief says, as thousands declared missing

    Tom Fletcher wears a suit and has a serious expression, he sits in front of a blue backgroundEPA/Shutterstock

    Today is a "crucial day" for search and rescue, says the UN's humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher.

    Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme, he says rescuers are "driven on minute by minute, hour by hour, by the sound of the survivors underneath the rubble," adding: "The worst thing is when those voices go quiet."

    The exact number of people missing is unclear. Acting president of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez put the figure at 172 in her most recent update on Friday, but others say it is likely much higher.

    Speaking separately to AFP, Fletcher says that more than 50,000 people are missing. A civilian-run missing persons site also puts the figure in the tens of thousands, reporting more than 54,000 people who have been unreachable by family members.

    The site also shows that 12,215 people have been located, but does not disclose in what condition they were found.

  11. What to know about the situation in Venezuela

    Casualties: At least 920 people have been killed and 3,360 injured, according to the most recent update from authorities. Tens of thousands of people are missing.

    Area: Multiple states have been affected. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez saidearlier that La Guaira, a region north of the capital, had been hit the hardest. Buildings have collapsed, and people are left without a home.

    Rescue efforts: Are continuing for a third day with teams joining in from across the globe, including the UK, Mexico, Switzerland and the US.

    Earthquakes: The two powerful quakes rocked Venezuela on Wednesday evening, less than a minute apart, the first quake had a magnitude of 7.2 and the second 7.5. The second was one of the strongest tremors to hit the South American countryin a century.

    Aftershocks: They are continuing after the earthquakes - on Friday evening President Rodríguez said there had been 214.

    A map showing two earthquakes in Venezuela, where they hit and how hard the shaking was

  12. Families wait in front of the rubble, hoping for a miracle

    Vanessa Silva
    Reporting from La Guaira

    Firefighters and volunteers work amidst the rubble of a collapsed building.Reuters

    The BBC has been on the ground in the worst affected areas - here's the latest report from Vanessa Silva in La Guaira state:

    Destruction is everywhere - hundreds of structures have been destroyed. Buildings have been reduced to a twisted mass of cement and beams.

    Families are waiting in front of the rubble, hoping for a miracle. Natacha Díaz, a mother almost voiceless, tells the BBC that her two daughters are trapped in the small shopping centre where they worked as manicurists. She cries as she holds a photo of her daughters on her mobile phone.

    A few metres away, Andreína Valerio, with little sleep and accompanied by her brother-in-law, waits for a miracle that will bring back Santiaguito, her one-and-a-half-year-old son. "My only son," she tells me through tears.

    Two uncles and the boy's grandparents, who cared for the baby while his mother worked in Caracas, are also trapped.

    Police, rescuers and volunteers from other states have arrived.

    Around midday on Friday, we saw the arrival of heavy machinery to remove debris.

  13. Destruction and overwhelm: Venezuela's earthquakes in the words of locals

    A woman holding a baby in her armsInstagram

    Andrea, wife of footballer Héctor Bello. She died saving her child, Bello says

    It has been a harrowing few days for many across Venezuela as they grapple with loss following deadly earthquakes. Here's how they describe what they're going through:

    "I'll tell her the story of how you saved her, my love - how you gave your own life for our daughter," footballer Héctor Bello writes on his Instagram.

    He is writing about his wife who died in the earthquake, named as Andrea by Venezuelan news outlets.

    Bello says she saved the life of their young daughter, dying in the process during two powerful quakes.

    One woman cries as she shows photos of her two daughters, who were in a shopping centre which lies in rubble next to her.

    The women, aged 22 and 23, worked at the shopping centre and are now missing, she says. "I just want them back with me, they are all I have, please."

    "I thought I was going to die," Verónica told BBC Mundo. She was at home celebrating a national holiday when the quakes hit and says she thought her apartment walls would bury her.

    It's taking a toll on emergency crews, too. "Rescue workers are overwhelmed. They are pulling people out with their bare hands," student Antoan Marín told BBC News Mundo from Caracas.

  14. Search continues for survivors of Venezuela quakes that killed at least 920

    A man with a Venezuelan flag-themed backpack walks over the rubble of collapsed buildings in La Guaira several damaged towers stand in the backdropReuters

    A man with a Venezuelan flag-themed backpack walks over the rubble of collapsed buildings in La Guaira

    The search is continuing for survivors of two massive earthquakes in Venezuela that have killed at least 920 people and injured more than 3,300.

    Tens of thousands of people have been reported missing and rescue efforts are under way by emergency services, with international crews deployed to assist.

    The teams include specialists from 14 British fire services.

    "We literally have seen the floor open," reports our colleague Vanessa Silva in La Guaira, where hundreds of structures are destroyed.

    A doctor tells the BBC that the state's two hospitals have been "completely overwhelmed" while people who have lost their homes try to seek shelter elsewhere.

    The back-to-back quakes struck less than a minute apart during a national holiday, when people would have been home with their families. La Guaira state and the capital Caracas are the worst-hit areas.

    We have reporters on the ground in Venezuela and will bring you developments here throughout the day.