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Venezuela’s catastrophic twin earthquakes have killed at least 1,430 people, injured over 3,200 and displaced more than 3,100 families, with rescue teams racing desperately against the closing 72-hour survival window as aftershocks continue to rattle the devastated coastal state of La Guaira.

Time is running out — and so is hope.

Venezuela’s earthquake death toll has climbed to 1,430, with 3,238 people injured and more than 3,100 families displaced into emergency shelters, authorities confirmed Saturday as the critical 72-hour survival window neared its grim end.

The twin earthquakes — magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, striking less than a minute apart during Wednesday’s national holiday — caught thousands inside homes and high-rise buildings. La Guaira, the coastal state that bore the brunt, saw entire apartment blocks reduced to rubble and critical infrastructure severely damaged.

Senior lawmaker Jorge Rodríguez didn’t mince words on state television, describing the catastrophe as “the most disastrous event this republic has suffered in the last 123 years,” according to international correspondents covering the disaster.

Over 430 aftershocks have rattled the region since the initial strikes, keeping survivors on edge and complicating rescue operations.

Yet emergency workers — joined by international teams — refuse to stop.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez drew a firm line in the rubble. “Our priority is to rescue those who are still alive,” she declared, confirming electricity had been restored to roughly 60 percent of La Guaira and that additional heavy equipment had been deployed to the disaster zone.

Approximately 14,000 military and police personnel have been mobilised to support relief operations and maintain security across the devastated region.

Wednesday was a national holiday. Families were home. Buildings were full.

1,430 people never saw Thursday.

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The death toll from Venezuela’s devastating earthquakes has risen to at least 188, with 971 people injured, National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez, said on Thursday.

Interim president Delcy Rodriguez had earlier said that round 30 aftershocks have been recorded following the two strongest quakes on Wednesday.

Authorities initially reported 32 dead and more than 700 injured.

The earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the same area of Venezuela on Wednesday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), causing buildings in the capital to crumble and forcing the closure of the country’s main airport.

US President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that “the two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths.”

“The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly,” the American president wrote on his Truth Social platform.

An AFP journalist saw a 22-story building completely destroyed in the capital’s Altamira neighborhood, where people cried out relatives’ names as volunteers climbed over the rubble.

“We need flashlights,” one of them said.

The first quake, with an epicenter 21 kilometers (13 miles) west of the coastal town of Moron, occurred at 2204 GMT, USGS said. Within a minute, a 7.5-magnitude quake struck about 45 kilometers away.

“This earthquake was the second event in a doublet. This magnitude 7.5 mainshock was preceded by 39 seconds by a 7.2 foreshock,” USGS said.

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The United States government has identified a Nigerian national among several individuals and organisations accused of facilitating financial operations for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), as part of a broader crackdown on the group’s global funding network.

In a statement issued by the U.S. Department of State, officials said the action targeted three individuals and six entities operating across Europe, the Middle East, and West Africa, who are allegedly involved in moving funds used to support ISIS activities.

According to the department, the measures are aimed at disrupting the terrorist group’s ability to finance attacks and sustain its international operations.

“Under the leadership of President Trump, the United States is dismantling ISIS’s ability to finance terrorism around the world. We are cutting off the financial lifelines from around the world that enable ISIS to fund attacks, support its regional affiliates, and threaten civilians, including religious minorities,” spokesperson Thomas Pigott said.

The statement noted that the network spans France, Syria, Türkiye, and Nigeria, and is believed to have facilitated the cross-border movement of funds linked to the extremist group.

Officials alleged that the designated individuals include a France-based facilitator connected to explosives-related information shared with ISIS supporters, a Syria-based operator who reportedly used cryptocurrency to transfer funds internationally, and a Nigeria-based facilitator whose money exchange businesses were allegedly used as channels for ISIS financing.

The U.S. government said the designations are part of ongoing efforts to dismantle financial pipelines supporting terrorist organisations and to restrict their global operations.