Rescue teams race to Venezuela amid fears thousands killed in earthquakes

Rescue teams are racing to Venezuela’s shattered northern coast after almost simultaneous earthquakes reduced dozens of buildings to rubble, with thousands of people feared dead. The Simón Bolívar international airport near Caracas was badly damaged by 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes less than 40 seconds apart late on Wednesday afternoon, and the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the defence department would help search and rescue teams deploy to the affected region.

He said the most immediate need was search and rescue, adding the next 72 "golden" hours were critical: "In search and rescue you are trying to get to people while you can still save their lives – they are buried under rubble." The coastal area around La Guaira, Catia La Mar and Caraballeda appears to have sustained the worst damage, with a string of large tower blocks levelled and people desperately hunting for missing loved ones; in some cases families of four or five have disappeared.

Venezuela, La Guaira, Catia La Mar, Caraballeda, Caracas

venezuela, earthquakes, simón bolívar, caracas airport, la guaira, caraballeda, rescue teams, golden hours, 7.5 magnitude, 7.2 magnitude