Jorge Rodríguez said 250 buildings were damaged or lost, mostly in La Guaira, where footage of the wreckage of a 10-storey hotel was seen by the BBC. On Thursday, people were there searching for their loved ones.
Juan Ortiz told the BBC one of his close friends was confirmed dead, another was believed to be under the rubble and about 20 people from the coastal area were missing.
“I was shocked, confused and frustrated that I couldn’t help,” said a medical student in Caracas.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said buildings in the capital were also demolished and Trujillo, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Aragua and Miranda were also affected.
Gustavo Duque, mayor of Chacao, which forms part of the Caracas metropolitan region, said 11 people were killed and 23 rescued outside a ruined building on Thursday.
He said in a video update posted on social media that teams were working to clear the wreckage so experts could “reach those who we hope are still alive.”
“We are trying to rescue as many people as possible,” he said.
Venezuela’s main international airport in Myquetia, outside Caracas, has been closed due to severe damage, Venezuela’s interim president said. Video from inside the terminal showed dust and debris falling from the ceiling.
Another verified video, about 250km northwest of Caracas, shows a multi-storey building believed to be a hotel collapsing in coastal Tucacas.
Delcy Rodríguez told state TV channel Venezolana de Televisión that aftershocks continued to occur in the region, with at least 30 quakes recorded since the two quakes.
