Caracas, Venezuela - June 24, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of collapsed buildings after earthquakes, residents, rescuers, ambulances in Los Palos Grandes district
2. Various of residents gathering for safety at open spaces including Altamira Square

At least 164 people were killed and 971 others were injured in back-to-back powerful earthquakes in Venezuela, the country's acting President Delcy Rodriguez said on Thursday.

Rodriguez said the earthquakes have triggered about 30 aftershocks, noting that the government is currently coordinating resources nationwide to strengthen search and rescue efforts in the hardest-hit areas, and has called on the private sector to help procure search and rescue equipment and supplies.

She expressed the hope that improved visibility after daybreak would enable rescue workers to accelerate search and rescue operations.

The quakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and were felt throughout the region.

Rodriguez said the coastal state of La Guaira in northern Venezuela was the hardest hit, declaring it as a "disaster zone," where dozens of buildings have completely collapsed.

The U.S. Geological Survey said a magnitude 7.2 foreshock struck at 18:04 local time (2204 GMT) on Wednesday in Venezuela, followed just 40 seconds later by an even stronger magnitude 7.5 quake. Both struck near the coastal town of Moron, about 160 km west of the capital of Caracas.

The country declared a state of emergency following the strong earthquakes.