Thousands feared dead in Venezuela after twin earthquakes flatten buildings

Geoff Bennett:

Welcome to the "News Hour."

The fight to rescue the stranded, care for the living, and retrieve the dead accelerated today in Venezuela, following two major earthquakes that struck near the capital city of Caracas. The damage in places appears catastrophic.

Amna Nawaz:

The U.S. and other nations are mobilizing relief efforts to assist the government there. The Americans deposed and removed Venezuela's longtime leader in January. The initial death toll stands at nearly 200, but that number is expected to rise sharply.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that a disaster of this scope may have killed as many as 10,000 people.

Stephanie Sy begins our coverage.

Stephanie Sy:

The earth is still shaking, and this man calls out for his mother, filming himself and the immediate panic that breaks out when the ground beneath his neighborhood gives way.

At Simon Bolivar International Airport, debris crashed down on travelers, the violent tremor destroying this section of the terminal. In La Guaira, the hardest-hit state, homes in this densely populated coastal community rendered to their foundations, ceilings turned into floors.

Back-to-back earthquakes, the strongest in more than a century, hit northern Venezuela close to the capital, Caracas, Wednesday afternoon, a 7.2-magnitude quake, and less than a minute later a stronger 7.5 striking the same spot, leaving the land and its people devastated.

This mother of three was separated from her 8-year-old.

Dayana Delgado, La Guaira, Venezuela, Resident (through interpreter):

I'm desperate. I just want to know where my son is, whether he's trapped or at a shelter. I'm desperate.

Stephanie Sy:

This man says he lost everything, his apartment, his vehicles, and possibly neighbors.

Cristian Carreno, La Guaira, Venezuela Resident (through interpreter):

I imagine there were people trapped inside who couldn't get out. It was devastating. Thank God we're alive.

Stephanie Sy:

A state of emergency has been declared across the country. With thousands reported missing, rescue teams are searching for signs of life, people, and, yes, pets.

This eyewitness video captures panicked voices beneath the rubble calling out to rescuers. The needs the needs are overwhelming, too much to shoulder alone. Neighbors band together in search of loved ones spotted, the grasping fingers and faint calls of a woman trapped.

Juan Alberto Mendano, La Guaira, Venezuela, Resident (through interpreter):

When we heard the scream, there was nothing we could do. God willing, they rescue her as soon as possible.

Stephanie Sy:

This woman pleads for help. Two generations of her family are missing.

Arminda Gomez, La Guaira, Venezuela, Resident (through interpreter):

I lost I lost my daughter, my grandson, and my granddaughter, who was due to be born in a month please help me find my daughter and see if she's under the rubble, please.

Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State: The most immediate need right now is search-and-rescue efforts.

Stephanie Sy:

Today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged to send teams from the U.S. and even the Department of Defense to assist response missions.

Marco Rubio:

We're already deploying a search-and-rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. We have a whole-of-government response. It'll be big, it'll be fast, and it'll be effective.

Stephanie Sy:

And the State Department said the U.S. is sending 150 million to aid groups on the ground. In turn, acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez offered gratitude to the U.S. amid shifting ties between the two countries.

Delcy Rodriguez, Acting President of Venezuela (through interpreter): I want to thank President Donald Trump and his administration, who have been in constant contact with the Venezuelan government, with all our authorities providing support solidarity. And, in the first hours, we will be receiving rescuers.

Stephanie Sy:

World leaders from Mexico to Spain are also surging aid to the disaster-stricken country. For the rattled residents of Venezuela, it can't come soon enough.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Stephanie Sy.