Australians feared to be caught up in dual Venezuelan earthquakes, PM says

Some Australians are feared to have been caught up in the devastating dual earthquakes that killed hundreds in Venezuela.

At least 235 people have been killed and 4300 more injured after back-to-back magnitude 7.5 and 7.2 earthquakes hit the country on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the ABC on Friday that it is too early to know whether Australians have been affected, but the government is monitoring the situation.

“Given the numbers impacted, it’s certainly possible that Australians are caught up in it,” he said.

“We’re continuing to monitor the situation, and our heart goes out to anyone here who has relatives or friends in Venezuela.

“Because this is one of the worst earthquakes that we’ve seen in recent times, with catastrophic human consequences, a massive loss of life, but also massive infrastructure damage and real consequences for the people of Venezuela.”

Venezuelan authorities are currently searching for survivors and bodies underneath the rubble as countries around the world send aid.

Yamileth Jimenez told Reuters she was grieving her father, who had died three days before the earthquakes, when her 19-year-old son became trapped in the debris of their apartment building in La Guaira.

“He’s under the slabs and there’s no machinery to get him out,” she said.

Cesar Valecillos told CNN he is searching the rubble for his brother, Carlos Perdomo, who he believes is trapped under another building in La Guaira.

“The authorities weren’t prepared for all these injuries and deaths,” he said.

“We have received some help, but I understand that they are just totally saturated because the [earthquake] was so massive.”

Venezuela has lifted an almost two-year ban on X after the United Nations urged it to relax its media restrictions to allow people affected by the devastating double earthquakes access to life-saving information.

“In the coming hours and days, access to information will be a matter of life and death,” the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission said.

“There can be no excuse for failing to do so immediately.”

The CNN and Al Jazeera reported that VE sin Filtro, a Venezuelan digital rights organisation, said the acting government has partially restored access to the site across all major internet service providers.

Some users are, however, reporting that they are unable to load images or videos.

Venezuela has some of the most restricted media and access to information in the world, with hundreds of outlets and sites shut down under former president Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez.

Maduro was captured and imprisoned in the US under an order by President Donald Trump.

Trump has authorised US crews to join the search and rescue efforts in Venezuela and $150 million in assistance.