At least 235 people are dead and about 40,000 missing following back-to-back earthquakes that hit Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon.
Rescuers continued to search through mounds of rubble after tremors of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck within 39 seconds of each other west of the capital Caracas.
The health minister said nearly 4,300 people were injured, according to Associated Press.
Venezuelans described the scenes as “like a horror movie” as emergency workers scrambled through the damage while dazed survivors were rushed away on stretchers.
Families were seen desperately seeking help for loved ones who were feared trapped.
Interim president Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes caused building collapses in the capital and forced the closure of the nation’s main international airport.
The US Geological Survey said there was a 44 per cent probability that fatalities could exceed 10,000.
