The Venezuelan government has reported that more than 900 people have been killed and 3,360 injured in the twin earthquakes that struck the country's north. Rescuers continue to search for survivors amid the rubble.

The hardest-hit area is La Guaira state, north of the capital Caracas, which houses the country's main port and Simón Bolívar International Airport. Senior officials said hundreds of international rescue workers have arrived, with more on the way.

In La Guaira, Natacha Diaz told the BBC her two daughters, aged 22 and 23, who worked as manicurists, are trapped under a collapsed shopping center. "They were with their friends. I just want them to be found. They are all I have," she said.

National Assembly head Jorge Rodriguez said on state TV Friday that the death toll had reached 920, with at least 172 people still believed trapped. In La Guaira alone, 243 people have been rescued.

Hundreds of buildings, including hospitals and shopping centers, have been damaged or destroyed. Surviving medical facilities are overwhelmed. Dr. Pedro Javier Fernandez said that even before the disaster, treating patients was difficult, and now the emergency is even greater.

The UK, US, Netherlands, Mexico, and Switzerland have sent rescue teams. The US has also deployed warships and transport planes, along with $150 million in aid.

Venezuela was ill-prepared for an emergency due to its crumbling infrastructure after decades of economic crisis, said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

A total of 214 aftershocks have been recorded since the initial quakes. Authorities urge citizens to remain in safe areas.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk