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Two powerful earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, hit Venezuela just 39 seconds apart on a Wednesday evening.
Buildings collapsed in Caracas and several states, including Miranda, La Guaira, Aragua, Carabobo, and Falcon.
The death toll has reached 1,430, making this one of the most devastating earthquakes in Venezuela in recent years.
In La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas, a 14-story residential building collapsed, burying about 43 apartments under the rubble.
At the time, 41 of those apartments were occupied, leaving many families without homes as emergency services rushed to assess the extent of the damage.
Survivors described what happened after the collapse and said that some residents had already been rescued from the debris.
One person who was saved gave rescuers important details about others still trapped, helping search teams focus their efforts in the La Paez neighborhood.
Teams from Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and the Turkish Armed Forces departed for Venezuela to assist local rescue efforts.
Their arrival is one of the first major international responses to reach the hard-hit coastal state of La Guaira.
AFAD and Turkish Armed Forces teams arrived in La Guaira and went straight to the collapse site in the La Paez neighborhood.
They worked with Venezuelan authorities and other international rescue groups, establishing a joint approach to the search.
Turkish rescue teams started organized operations at the site of the collapsed 14-story building, working with other international teams.
They used equipment across the debris field and followed information from survivors to find people who might still be alive under the rubble.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing with international teams working together across the affected region.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez confirmed that the death toll has reached 1,500, as rescue workers from several countries continue their efforts day and night in La Guaira and nearby states.
As Türkiye's teams continue their work at the La Paez site, the operation shows the wider international response to Venezuela's worst earthquake crisis in years.
With many people still missing in the collapsed building, rescuers are staying focused on finding survivors in the rubble.
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