Rescuers and residents across Venezuela raced against time as the critical 72-hour search window following two powerful earthquakes neared its end, with authorities confirming at least 920 deaths and more than 51,000 people still missing.
The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck on Wednesday, devastating the coastal region around La Guaira and causing widespread destruction across northern Venezuela.
As official rescue resources remained limited in many of the worst-hit areas, residents continued searching through collapsed buildings by hand while international rescue teams joined the growing emergency response.
Authorities said access to La Guaira would now require official permits after heavy traffic and crowds disrupted rescue operations.
Government forces distributed food and water to survivors as acting President Delcy Rodríguez said authorities were mounting a full response during what she described as "critical hours for rescuing people alive."
She also welcomed the arrival of international rescue teams and humanitarian assistance, saying La Guaira had been militarized to improve emergency operations.
Authorities later said around 1,600 foreign rescue personnel had arrived to support search efforts.
Despite the expanded response, humanitarian organizations warned that rescue teams were entering the final hours during which survivors are most likely to be found beneath the rubble.
Officials reported that more than 3,300 people had been injured and 243 survivors had been rescued.
Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, said, "Each person saved is a miracle."
Residents in the hardest-hit communities continued searching for missing relatives while reporting limited communication due to damaged mobile and internet networks.
Independent databases recorded tens of thousands of missing people, although officials cautioned that some reports could involve duplicate entries or people who remain unreachable because of communication outages.
The International Organization for Migration said as many as 6.76 million people could be affected by the earthquakes, including roughly two million in Caracas.
Aid agencies also warned that displacement is expected to increase as survivors seek safer locations.
The International Red Cross said many residents remain afraid to return to damaged homes, while humanitarian organizations stressed that Venezuela's existing resource shortages continue to complicate rescue and relief operations.