The United States has deployed search and rescue teams to Venezuela following back-to-back earthquakes that have killed more than 100 people.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday morning that the teams are being sent from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles, California.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 100 miles west of the capital city of Caracas on Wednesday, followed by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake less than a minute later, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The second earthquake was the country’s strongest since 1900.
In addition to search and rescue teams on the ground, Rubio said the United States will be assisting in the rescue and recovery effort from the air.
The deadly disaster presents a significant test for interim President Delcy Rodríguez, the former vice president who assumed office in January after the United States captured Nicolas Maduro. The crisis comes as Venezuela continues to grapple with more than a decade of economic turmoil, while many citizens and opposition groups question her political legitimacy.
Rodríguez declared a state of emergency during a state television address shortly before 1 a.m. local time on Thursday. She announced that the government would establish a $200 million reconstruction fund to repair hospitals and homes damaged by the earthquakes and assigned the economy and finance ministers to oversee the recovery effort.
Rodríguez said that La Guaira state—the coastal region and home to Simón Bolívar International Airport—had been declared a “disaster zone” and the hardest-hit area.
“Dozens of buildings have collapsed there ... and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” Rodríguez said.
Rubio confirmed Thursday morning that the Pentagon plans to deploy assets to the badly damaged airport.
Meanwhile, thousands of Venezuelans were feared killed Thursday after two powerful earthquakes struck Caracas and surrounding areas, causing widespread destruction, trapping residents under collapsed buildings, and triggering a series of intense aftershocks.