A pair of powerful earthquakes - magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 - rocked Venezuela on Wednesday evening. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said at least 164 people are dead and 971 injured.
La Guaira state, north of Caracas, was declared a disaster zone where dozens of buildings collapsed. Rescue teams from across the country and from international partners are working to free people trapped under rubble.
The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Washington is immediately deploying search and rescue teams and humanitarian assistance. Ecuador, Qatar, Mexico and El Salvador also sent personnel. The quakes damaged Simón Bolívar International Airport, closing it, and were felt as far away as Manaus, Brazil. Tsunami alerts that were briefly issued have since been lifted.