Desperate search for child in Venezuela earthquake

"Antonio, it's mom, I'm right here," a mother's choked cries echoed into the rubble of a 22-story building in Caracas.

Neighbors watched helplessly as a mother cried out for her child after two severe earthquakes struck Venezuela on the evening of 24/6. Some attempted to climb through the debris, listening for any sign of life, but only a terrifying silence responded.

Volunteers, accompanied by one police officer, called out for flashlights as they waited for formal rescue teams. Amidst the chaos, another desperate cry, "Tania, Tania," echoed through the ravaged streets. The building, part of the Petunia apartment complex, is located in the upscale Los Palos Grandes neighborhood, typically bustling with restaurants and cafes.

Rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building in the Altamira neighborhood after the earthquake in Caracas on 24/6. Photo: AFP

Around 6 p.m. on 24/6 (5 a.m. on 25/6 Hanoi time), two earthquakes occurred in the same region of Venezuela. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quakes, measuring 7,2 and 7,5 respectively, caused many buildings to collapse and sent residents fleeing into the streets in panic.

Interim President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez confirmed 20 aftershocks followed the main tremors. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reported that the states of Trujillo, Carabobo, Miranda, and La Guaira were the most severely affected areas. On the morning of 25/6, Rodriguez announced 32 fatalities and over 700 injuries, noting that data was still pending for La Guaira, the region closest to the capital and believed to be the most severely affected.

Venezuela is prone to earthquakes. The country's strongest recorded earthquakes include one in the northeast in 1997 that killed 73 people and another in Caracas in 1967 that caused 236 fatalities. The Los Palos Grandes neighborhood also suffered heavy losses in the 1967 earthquake, with many buildings collapsing.

Just blocks away, shoppers who had just escaped a mall were still reeling. "The stairs came apart, the walls cracked. Things fell from the ceiling. It was terrifying," shared Odalis Escalona, a 54-year-old bank employee.

An injured person from the Caracas earthquake is taken for emergency treatment on 24/6. Photo: AP

Zenia Gonzalez, 52, was comforting a young girl still in tears. "We waited for the shaking to subside, then ran down the escalator," Gonzalez recounted. "We had to wait because the tremor was so intense and lasted a very long time." Panic screams filled the air as crowds jostled to escape the building.

In the nearby La Castellana neighborhood, Maria Romero also had to quickly flee her apartment. "Everything shook violently, emitting a roaring sound from deep underground," the 48-year-old engineer described. She hesitated, unsure how to react. "For a second, I considered hiding under a table, but then I decided I had to run outside."

Buildings across the city were affected. Interim President Rodriguez declared a state of emergency and ordered the closure of the country's main airport.