Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela in rapid succession Wednesday evening, killing at least 164 people and injuring more than 971 others, according to Acting President Delcy Rodríguez. The first quake, measured at magnitude 7.2, hit near the town of San Felipe roughly 100 miles west of the capital, Caracas, at approximately 6 p.m. ET. A second, larger quake measuring magnitude 7.5 struck 39 seconds later near the nearby town of Yumare. The U.S. Geological Survey described the event as likely causing widespread casualties and extensive damage, calling it among the strongest earthquakes to hit Venezuela in more than a century.

Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and announced the closure of Caracas's main airport due to heavy structural damage. She said more than 100 aftershocks had been recorded and described the state of La Guaira, north of Caracas, as a "true tragedy" and a "disaster zone," noting that casualty figures from that region were not yet included in the official death toll. Footage circulating on social media showed multiple apartment buildings leveled along a coastal road in Caraballeda, in La Guaira state, with NBC News estimating at least eight apartment blocks destroyed within a stretch of less than half a mile. Rodríguez announced a $200 million fund for reconstruction of infrastructure and housing.

The earthquakes struck on a national holiday marking the 205th anniversary of the 1821 Battle of Carabobo, a decisive engagement that secured Venezuelan independence from Spanish royalist forces. Because the holiday had left many residents at home rather than at work, the potential for civilian casualties was heightened. Seismologist Lucy Jones of the California Institute of Technology described the combination of a high-magnitude quake and dense residential areas as particularly destructive.

International assistance began mobilizing within hours of the disaster. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the immediate deployment of search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian aid. President Donald Trump said he had instructed all government agencies to prepare to move quickly, describing Venezuela as a "new and great" friend of the United States. Rodríguez said she spoke with Rubio by phone and thanked the U.S. government for maintaining "permanent contact" with Venezuelan authorities. China, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico also pledged support.

The United Nations and the International Red Cross separately mobilized response teams. UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher warned that the disaster "risks deepening existing vulnerabilities," noting that eight million people in Venezuela were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquakes struck. The Red Cross identified search and rescue, emergency shelter, healthcare, safe water, and sanitation as the most urgent anticipated needs in the coming days.