Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, causing widespread devastation in Caracas and surrounding areas. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed on Friday that the death toll had risen to 589, with 2,980 people injured. Rescue teams and local residents have recovered bodies and rescued several survivors from the rubble, while hundreds of buildings have collapsed.

An opposition-run website collecting information on missing persons reported that relatives had listed more than 50,000 people as missing by Friday morning. Rescue operations continue using heavy machinery, but efforts are hampered by severe infrastructure damage, communication breakdowns, and the scale of destruction.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s damage assessment models, the number of fatalities could exceed several thousand, with a strong possibility of surpassing 10,000 if conditions worsen.