00:00At least 164 people are now confirmed dead and 971 injured after two powerful earthquakes
00:09devastated Venezuela in one of the country's worst natural disasters in more than a century.
00:15The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams continue searching through collapsed
00:21buildings for survivors. Acting President Delcy Rodriguez says emergency crews are being deployed
00:27to the hardest-hit regions, where dozens of people remain trapped under rubble.
00:33The twin earthquakes struck Wednesday evening. The first measured magnitude 7.2.
00:39Just one minute later, a second and even stronger 7.5 magnitude quake hit the same region.
00:47The powerful back-to-back tremors were felt across large parts of northern South America
00:52and caused widespread destruction throughout Venezuela.
00:55In the capital, Caracas, residents ran from swaying buildings as walls collapsed and clouds
01:03of dust filled the air. Television footage showed rescue workers digging through piles of concrete
01:09and twisted metal in a desperate race against time.
01:12One of the worst affected areas is La Guara State, on Venezuela's northern coast.
01:18Authorities have described the region as a disaster zone.
01:21Dozens of buildings have collapsed there, and rescue operations are continuing around the clock.
01:27In a rare moment of hope, three children were pulled alive from the rubble after spending
01:33hours trapped beneath a collapsed structure.
01:36The disaster has also crippled critical infrastructure.
01:40Venezuela's main international airport suffered damage and has been shut down.
01:45Parts of Caracas lost electricity in cell phone service.
01:49Subway operations were suspended, and natural gas supplies were cut as a safety measure.
01:55Schools across affected regions have also been closed, with some buildings being converted
02:00into shelters and relief centers.
02:03Many residents spent the night outdoors, fearing powerful aftershocks.
02:07Some slept in parked vehicles, subway stations, and open public spaces.
02:12Others searched desperately for missing relatives as communication networks remained disrupted.
02:19Social media has since been flooded with appeals for information about loved ones.
02:24Authorities are now calling on businesses to provide heavy machinery to speed up rescue efforts.
02:30United Nations certified search and rescue teams are also on their way to assist local emergency crews.
02:37Venezuela sits near several fault lines, but earthquakes of this magnitude are extremely rare for the country.
02:45According to the U.S. Geological Survey, both quakes struck near the Caribbean coast west of Caracas
02:51and occurred at relatively shallow depths, increasing their destructive impact.
02:57For now, the focus remains on rescue operations as emergency teams continue searching for survivors beneath the rubble.
03:04With hundreds injured, entire neighborhoods damaged, and fears of more aftershocks,
03:11Venezuela faces a long and difficult recovery ahead.
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