Internet connectivity in Venezuela affected by the earthquakespublished at 12:11 BST

12:11 BST

By Adam Durbin and Rachel Flynn

Internet connectivity in Venezuela has been significantly affected by the earthquakes, according to monitoring group NetBlocks.

As of 08:00 BST (03:00 local time) connectivity had recovered to about 77% of normal capacity - having fallen to 59% shortly after the earthquakes hit.

The 08:00 data is the latest available from NetBlocks.

NetBlocks says the widespread issues “corresponds to power cuts and infrastructure damage, hindering rescue efforts and limiting visibility into events on the ground”.

The disruption to the internet, combined with the relatively rural location of the earthquakes’ epicentre, is likely a significant factor contributing to the concentration of social media footage we are seeing from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Separately, the UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela has called for the country’s telecommunications regulator to "fully unblock access to social media and all media outlets", adding that “access to information will be a matter of life and death”.

Venezuela ranked 159 out of 180 countries and territories in the 2026 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, which ranks 180 countries on the ability for journalists to work without interference or threats.

Image source, NetBlocks

Mark Poynting
Climate and science reporter

The outer layer of the Earth is divided into different sections called tectonic plates - a bit like the Earth’s puzzle pieces.

These plates move very slowly - perhaps only a few centimetres a year, which is roughly the same rate as your fingernails grow.

Northern Venezuela sits on the boundary of the Caribbean and South American plates.

As they move relative to one another, parts of the plates can get “stuck”, and stress builds up over a long period of time.

Eventually, this stress becomes too much and the plates jolt or slip back into place.

That releases the huge amounts of energy experienced as an earthquake.

If you are safe and able to do so, you can tell us your story.

You can get in touch in the following ways:

• Upload your pictures and video
• Email: yourvoice@bbc.co.uk, external

Please read ourterms & conditionsandprivacy policy

In somecasesaselectionof your comments and questions will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published.

Earthquake response a big test for Venezuela and Trumppublished at 11:41 BST

11:41 BST

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent

Image source, Reuters

This is a big test for the government of Delcy Rodriguez and for the Trump administration.

Since the US military intervention in January, when the former dictator Nicolas Maduro was abducted and flown to the US, his former deputy, Rodriguez has been running the country.

But with the US controlling the country’s vital oil revenues, Venezuela has become a vassal state, heavily dependent on decisions taken far away in Washington.

Members of the US Congress have complained about a lack of transparency over how Venezuela’s oil revenues are managed and audited, as well as the lack of moves towards a democratic transition.

In January, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said Venezuela said the Maduro regime had been characterised by "corruption and graft".

It’s not clear what, if anything, has changed since then. Suffice to say that Venezuela is unlikely to be well equipped to deal with a disaster on this scale.

The number of deaths from the earthquakes that struck Venezuela last night now stands at 164, Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez has said, according to Reuters and AFP.

Nicole Kolster
Reporting from Caracas for BBC Mundo

“How do you go back to living like this? This is like something out of a movie - I’ve never seen anything like it in my life… when I got here [to Los Palos Grandes] I was in shock,” says a woman sitting on the steps of a square who isn’t even trying to fall asleep.

It’s past 05:00 in the morning. In Caracas, in Los Palos Grandes—a residential area where buildings have collapsed—hundreds are sleeping (or trying to) in squares, on the streets, or in vehicles parked along the avenues.

People can be seen lying on the ground with sheets they managed to bring out from their homes - there is a lot of fear of aftershocks.

Other families are holding their pets in their arms.

Many here are watching over the rescue efforts and waiting for news about their loved ones who may have been trapped under the rubble. Some cars are blocked in.

This is one of the most affected areas of Caracas.

The mayor of the Chacao municipality, Gustavo Duque, reports at least 11 fatalities as of the time of writing.

Image source, Reuters

It has now been around 12 hours since a pair of earthquakes struck Venezuela shortly after 18:00 local time on Wednesday (23:00 BST), affecting numerous areas including the capital city of Caracas.

'A significant loss to life'

At least 32 people have died and some 700 have been injured after the two quakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez said.

The executive director of the UN Office for Project Services Jorge Moreira da Silva says reports indicate "a significant loss to life, widespread injuries, and severe damage to homes and vital infrastructure" in Caracas and elsewhere.

La Guaira deemed a 'disaster zone'

Rodríguez said in her update early on Thursday that the total number of casualties did not include any figures from the state of La Guaira - which she said was most affected and called a "disaster zone".

Images from La Guaira show rubble from buildings that have fallen, including a collapsed hotel.

Damages across several states

Our BBC reporter Vanessa Silva says damage has been reported in different Venezuelan states, while concerns have been raised about getting information given the state of Venezuela's power network.

Our colleague Jorge Perez from BBC Mundo was texting a friend in Caracas when he heard the first reports of the earthquakes.

He says that while earthquakes are a regular occurrence in Venezuela due to it being a seismic area, Wednesday's quakes are still "quite shocking".

Perez has been able to chat with some of his friends in the Venezuelan capital who "cannot sleep" out of fear and nerves.

One of the main issues, Perez adds, has been the struggle to get information: "The country has a very serious crisis with the electric network so it's very common to have power outages almost every day."

He says the situation is also stressful for the millions of Venezuelans living abroad who are unable to get in touch with their loved ones.

Image source, Getty Images

Esme Stallard
Senior climate and science reporter

Image source, EPA

Venezuela has experienced two earthquakes in quick succession and both of them were very shallow, less than 30km below ground.

One of the crucial factors that determines the impact of an earthquake is how far below the Earth's surface it occurred.

An earthquake occurs when two parts of the Earth suddenly move past each other which releases a lot of energy. When this energy reaches the surface it causes the ground to shake.

The closer it is to the surface the more shaking and potential damage.

Image source, EPA

World leaders have expressed their support for Venezuela following Wednesday's earthquakes:

• Emmanuel Macron, France's president, says in a post on X that he extends solidarity to the victims, their loved ones, and those mobilised on the ground
• Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says all of his support, "and that of Spain", is with those in Venezuela, adding that his and the country's thoughts are with the victims and their families

• China's foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a news briefing that the country would do what it could to help Venezuela, adding there had been no reports so far of Chinese casualties

• President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele says 300 rescuers and paramedics alongside 50 tons of equipment, medicines and essential supplies are ready to be sent to Caracas from the country

• Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he had "instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly", while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the country was "immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian assistance" to Venezuela

Caracas-based journalist Luis Hernandez was at home when the two quakes hit and was forced to evacuate with his dog.

His building was left with structural damage after the "terribly horrifying" shaking - but he tells BBC Newsday that assessing the damage, both in his home and around the country, will be difficult.

"Due to the economic crisis in the country it is very difficult for us to assess the damage in the country," Hernandez says. Power outages and internet failures are further complicating attempts to understand the scale of the damage.

"But we are getting a sense that around the country everyone is now not in their apartments, or their buildings, but on the lower floors trying to escape the possibility of the buildings falling down," he says.

"There's a lot of uncertainty, a lot of fear, because I don't think as a Venezuelan we were prepared for this."

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

One of the earthquakes that struck Venezuela last night was the strongest to occur in the country since 1900, according to data from the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The first earthquake that struck the country last night was registered with a magnitude of 7.2 by the USGS, with a second quake of 7.5 magnitude striking less than a minute later.

The government agency's catalogue of earthquakes states that an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 struck near the coast of Venezuela on 29 October 1900, known as the San Narciso earthquake.

Rescue and recovery operations continue in Caracas and other areas affected by the two back-to-back earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday.

Some are choosing to set up tents on the streets, as fears remain of potential aftershocks or damaged buildings collapsing.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

We can bring you a little more from Delcy Rodríguez's update from earlier this morning.

The acting president says the most affected state is La Guaira, north of Caracas, where "dozens" of buildings have collapsed. She calls it a "disaster zone" and a "true tragedy".

Speaking of the reports of 32 dead, the interim president says this is "not including any figures that may come in from the state of La Guaira".

Image source, Delcy Rodriguez/X

Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez says the priority is "saving lives" and that authorities are working on rescuing people trapped by collapsed buildings.

Speaking earlier this morning, Rodríguez says that in the next few hours Venezuela will begin to receive rescue workers from other countries including the US, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and El Salvador.

She adds that hotels and shelters are available for those who have lost their homes, and that all classes and activities not essential to public services are suspended.

Esme Stallard
Senior climate and science reporter

Soon after the earthquake struck the US Geological Survey (USGS) gave an estimate on the potential economic damage and fatalities in the region.

It has put that most likely potential loss of life between 10,000 and 100,000.

This is not an exact figure of the number of people that may have died - it could be higher or lower.

The USGS issues this figure to help emergency responders, government agencies and the media understand how potentially significant this event is and deploy resources effectively.

The organisation uses something called the PAGER system to calculate this figure.

Image source, Reuters

It looks at many factors including the size of the earthquake, how far below the surface the earthquake started, the amount of ground shaking and the population in the area that could have been exposed. And then based off of previous earthquakes with similar characteristics it gives us a figure.

But many other factors play into the potential injuries and deaths, including the quality of the buildings and the time of day.

If people are sleeping when earthquakes occur it increases the likelihood of not being able to evacuate.

The figure will get updated as more information comes through. But this event has been given a red alert - of which there are usually only 1-2 a year.

It is the middle of the night in Venezuela, where back-to-back earthquakes struck on Wednesday evening.

These photographs depict the aftermath in Venezuela's capital city Caracas and nearby Valencia.

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Hotel in La Guaira reduced to rubblepublished at 08:23 BST

08:23 BST

Image source, X

By Sarah Jalali and Paul Brown

We've verified footage showing the aftermath of the earthquakes in Venezuela in which a hotel in La Guaira, Venezuela, has completely collapsed.

The Hotel Eduard's, on the coast of Venezuela just north of the capital Caracas, once stood 10 storeys tall but has now been reduced to rubble.

Using online mapping and reverse image searches we were able to verify the location and the recency of the clips.

We’re looking at other footage coming out of Venezuela showing widespread destruction.

We can now bring you more from BBC reporter Vanessa Silva, who tells us about a collapsed building in the north Caracas suburb of San Bernardino.

Vanessa says the building contained five flats and security personnel are working to remove debris.

She adds that they are also trying to confirm whether an individual has died while searching for survivors.

Vanessa says: "The minister of interior just said that they are evaluating the damages along the north coast of the country and there are reports of many damages in different states of Venezuela."

Image source, Getty Images

Many buildings in Caracas have been left with parts of their walls falling down and visible cracks, says a teacher at a British school in the capital.

Alan Chung, who has lived in Venezuela for seven years, tells Radio 4's Today programme that he was in a restaurant at the time of the quakes, before running outside and seeing "a cloud of dust" and electricity lines "exploding".

He says people in the country are accustomed to minor earthquakes, but this was "the most serious for a long time".

"Venezuelans are very resilient," Chung says.

Image source, Reuters