Venezuela earthquakes kill 920 people as families desperate for news

La Guaira, a region north of the capital, has been hit the hardest, officials said. The state is also home to one of the country's two main ports and to Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía - the country's main airport.

Many people are missing, and it is likely the death toll will rise as rescue efforts continue.

In La Guaira, Natacha Diaz told the BBC that her two daughters - aged 22 and 23 - were trapped under the rubble of a collapsed shopping centre, where they worked as manicurists.

"They were with their friends," she said. "I just want them to be found. I have faith and hope that they are there."

"I just want them back with me. They are all I have, please."

National assembly head Jorge Rodriguez said in a state TV broadcast on Friday that the death toll had reached 920, with at least 172 people still believed to be trapped.

In La Guaira alone, at least 243 people have been rescued, the top lawmaker - who is the interim president's brother - said.

Dozens of people have been rescued alive, which "brings us joy that they can embrace their families and loved ones", Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said at a televised briefing on Friday.

There has been 214 aftershocks since the initial quakes, she added.

There are reports of rescuers pulling people out of collapsed buildings with their bare hands, as disrupted communications, damaged roads, and a lack of resources made the initial emergency response difficult.

A UK military flight carrying British search and rescue teams, dogs and drones left RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Friday, bound for Venezuela.

The flight is carrying specialists from 14 UK fire services, led by Merseyside Fire and Rescue.

Other countries, including the United States, the Netherlands, Mexico and Switzerland have sent teams. The US has also announced the deployment of warships and transport planes as well as $150m (£113m) in aid.

A BBC reporter in Caraballeda, in La Guaira state, has seen heavy machinery arrive to begin the task of removing rubble.

One case that boosted morale across Venezuela is the rescue in La Guaira of three young siblings, who emerged from the rubble covered in dust and debris, footage broadcast on state television showed.

"Come here, my child, come here," a man says to the first child as he emerges alive from a gap between chunks of concrete.

A girl then comes out, as the man asks her: "Are you siblings?", to which she replies: "Yes, there are three of us."

Shortly afterwards, with a little more difficulty, the third sister emerges, sobbing and covered in dust from head to toe.

Tributes are being paid to those who died. The wife of Venezuelan footballer Héctor Bello was killed while saving their daughter, according to his social media and local news.

Bello wrote on Instagram that "his precious love", named by Venezuelan news outlets as his wife Andrea, saved the life of their toddler during the quakes.

"I'll tell her the story of how you saved her, my love - how you gave your own life for our daughter, how you were a brave woman who never abandoned her, even as you took your last breaths," Bello wrote in one post.

One Portuguese national and two Brazilian citizens were also among those killed, their governments confirmed.

Four Spanish nationals were also among the dead, with 106 still unaccounted for, Spanish media reported, citing its foreign ministry.

Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said multiple states had been affected by the twin quakes. In Caracas, the worst-hit areas were the neighbourhoods of Los Palos Grandes and Altamira.

The government said aftershocks had largely affected the country's northern coastline, including La Guaira, Aragua, Carabobo and Falcón.

Leopoldo Lopez, a Venezuelan opposition leader living in exile in Spain, told BBC News the devastation has been "huge" and people were in "shock".

He said that "unfortunately, we are seeing a parallel collapse of the infrastructure, and also the incapacity of the state to provide timely rescue support for the people in the devastated areas".

However, there has been "tremendous support by the civil society in Venezuela", he added.

This natural disaster has hit at a time of great uncertainty for Venezuela.

Less than six months ago, Nicolás Maduro, the left-wing leader who had ruled the country since 2013, was seized by US forces in Caracas before being flown back to New York to face drug-trafficking charges.

Maduro's ally and former vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, took over running the country, to the frustration of opposition supporters who had hoped the Trump administration would put opposition leader María Corina Machado in charge.

Additional reporting by Vanessa Silva in La Guaria

Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗

Twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, killing 920 people according to officials, with rescue efforts ongoing in multiple affected states. La Guaira, which hosts a major port and the country's primary airport, sustained the heaviest damage. At least 172 people remain trapped under rubble, though dozens have been rescued alive, including three siblings pulled from a collapsed building in La Guaira. Initial emergency response was constrained by damaged communications, disrupted roads, and limited resources, with some rescuers working without heavy machinery. International search and rescue teams from the UK, US, Netherlands, Mexico and Switzerland have arrived or are deploying. The US announced $150 million in aid and deployment of warships and transport planes. Over 200 aftershocks have followed the initial quakes. The disaster occurred during a period of political transition in Venezuela, following the recent departure of longtime leader Nicolás Maduro.

Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗

La Guaira, a region north of the capital, has been hit the hardest, officials said. The state is also home to one of the country's two main ports and to Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía - the country's main airport.

Many people are missing, and it is likely the death toll will rise as rescue efforts continue.

In La Guaira, Natacha Diaz told the BBC that her two daughters - aged 22 and 23 - were trapped under the rubble of a collapsed shopping centre, where they worked as manicurists.

"They were with their friends," she said. "I just want them to be found. I have faith and hope that they are there."

"I just want them back with me. They are all I have, please."

National assembly head Jorge Rodriguez said in a state TV broadcast on Friday that the death toll had reached 920, with at least 172 people still believed to be trapped.

In La Guaira alone, at least 243 people have been rescued, the top lawmaker - who is the interim president's brother - said.

Dozens of people have been rescued alive, which "brings us joy that they can embrace their families and loved ones", Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said at a televised briefing on Friday.

There has been 214 aftershocks since the initial quakes, she added.

There are reports of rescuers pulling people out of collapsed buildings with their bare hands, as disrupted communications, damaged roads, and a lack of resources made the initial emergency response difficult.

A UK military flight carrying British search and rescue teams, dogs and drones left RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Friday, bound for Venezuela.

The flight is carrying specialists from 14 UK fire services, led by Merseyside Fire and Rescue.

Other countries, including the United States, the Netherlands, Mexico and Switzerland have sent teams. The US has also announced the deployment of warships and transport planes as well as $150m (£113m) in aid.

A BBC reporter in Caraballeda, in La Guaira state, has seen heavy machinery arrive to begin the task of removing rubble.

One case that boosted morale across Venezuela is the rescue in La Guaira of three young siblings, who emerged from the rubble covered in dust and debris, footage broadcast on state television showed.

"Come here, my child, come here," a man says to the first child as he emerges alive from a gap between chunks of concrete.

A girl then comes out, as the man asks her: "Are you siblings?", to which she replies: "Yes, there are three of us."

Shortly afterwards, with a little more difficulty, the third sister emerges, sobbing and covered in dust from head to toe.

Tributes are being paid to those who died. The wife of Venezuelan footballer Héctor Bello was killed while saving their daughter, according to his social media and local news.

Bello wrote on Instagram that "his precious love", named by Venezuelan news outlets as his wife Andrea, saved the life of their toddler during the quakes.

"I'll tell her the story of how you saved her, my love - how you gave your own life for our daughter, how you were a brave woman who never abandoned her, even as you took your last breaths," Bello wrote in one post.

One Portuguese national and two Brazilian citizens were also among those killed, their governments confirmed.

Four Spanish nationals were also among the dead, with 106 still unaccounted for, Spanish media reported, citing its foreign ministry.

Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said multiple states had been affected by the twin quakes. In Caracas, the worst-hit areas were the neighbourhoods of Los Palos Grandes and Altamira.

The government said aftershocks had largely affected the country's northern coastline, including La Guaira, Aragua, Carabobo and Falcón.

Leopoldo Lopez, a Venezuelan opposition leader living in exile in Spain, told BBC News the devastation has been "huge" and people were in "shock".

He said that "unfortunately, we are seeing a parallel collapse of the infrastructure, and also the incapacity of the state to provide timely rescue support for the people in the devastated areas".

However, there has been "tremendous support by the civil society in Venezuela", he added.

This natural disaster has hit at a time of great uncertainty for Venezuela.

Less than six months ago, Nicolás Maduro, the left-wing leader who had ruled the country since 2013, was seized by US forces in Caracas before being flown back to New York to face drug-trafficking charges.

Maduro's ally and former vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, took over running the country, to the frustration of opposition supporters who had hoped the Trump administration would put opposition leader María Corina Machado in charge.

Additional reporting by Vanessa Silva in La Guaria

Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗

Earthquakes killed 920 people with at least 172 still believed trapped La Guaira state was hardest hit, containing a major port and the country's main airport At least 243 people were rescued in La Guaira alone There have been 214 aftershocks since the initial quakes Disrupted communications, damaged roads, and lack of resources made initial emergency response difficult Rescue teams from UK, US, Netherlands, Mexico and Switzerland deployed to assist The US announced $150 million in aid The rescue of three young siblings 'brought joy' and boosted morale Opposition leader described the devastation as 'huge' with state 'incapacity' to provide timely rescue support Civil society provided 'tremendous support' during the disaster

Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗

• Earthquakes in Venezuela killed 920 people with 172 still trapped; La Guaira state was hardest hit
• International rescue teams from UK, US, Netherlands, Mexico and Switzerland deployed; dozens rescued alive
• Communications and infrastructure damage hampered initial response; aftershocks continue across northern coastal regions
• Casualties included foreign nationals; some rescue efforts conducted with bare hands due to resource constraints