A desperate search for survivors is underway after Venezuela was rocked by its strongest earthquakes in over a century, causing widespread destruction and fears of as many as 100,000 dead.

A magnitude-7.2 quake struck roughly 100 miles west of Caracas near San Felipe at 6 p.m. Wednesday, followed just 39 seconds later by an even bigger 7.5-magnitude temblor hitting the town of Yumare about 27 miles away, according to the US Geological Survey. 

“High casualties and extensive damage are probable, and the disaster is likely widespread,” the USGS warned — estimating a 40% chance the death toll could climb to at least 10,000, and a 30% chance it could even top 100,000.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez revealed Friday that the death toll is now 589 and the number of injured is 2,980.

City by quake-ravaged city, locals are springing into action to aid the massive rescue effort, with search and rescue team members, civic organizations and even everyday civilian volunteers lending a hand in a race against time.

The US has also begun directing resources and personnel to the impoverished South American nation, with President Trump announcing on Truth Social Wednesday night that “We will be there for our new and great friends.”

Rodriguez thanked Trump and the US, saying “Venezuela will never forget the hand extended to our people in these hard hours.”

At a press conference from Bahrain Thursday, Secretary Marco Rubio said the State Department was readying a “whole-of-government response” to the tragedy, promising “it’ll be big; it’ll be fast; and it’ll be effective.”

Rubio said he spoke to Rodríguez to confirm that the US would send assistance from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles.

Seventy-nine team members, 70,000 pounds of equipment, and six sniffer dogs will come from Virginia.

The elite crew, which mainly consists of firefighters but also includes medics, engineers and dog handlers, has previously carried out missions during deadly natural disasters, including the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2011 Japanese tsunami.

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) issued a statement on X Thursday that it was working with the Department of War and the State Department to support their operations.

“Our joint forces are moving quickly to bring the unmatched airlift, logistics, and lifesaving capabilities of the US military to help save lives and support the government of Venezuela during this crisis,” the agency wrote.

The US State Department added Thursday that it will collaborate with other US departments, UN agencies, NGOs and host governments to deliver search-and-rescue support and supplies.

Americans in Venezuela are urged to reach the department’s hotline at +1-202-501-4444 for assistance as rescue efforts continue. Family and friends in the US can also call the hotline toll-free at +1-888-407-4747.

Scenes of devastation played out throughout the quake zone, as amateur footage made the rounds online.

Chaotic footage posted to social media captured terrified people scrambling to safety and shielding their families as ceiling panels collapsed and sparks flew at Maiquetia International Airport. 

Another terrifying video taken on the streets of El Junquito, about 12 miles from Caracas, shows buildings crumbling like matchsticks into clouds of choking, brown smoke as residents ran for their lives clutching their loved ones.

Harrowing videos also showed baseball players and onlookers running into the field during a game in Caracas as the quake hit, shaking power lines and stadium seats. 

Although the destruction is widespread, pockets emerging as among the hardest hit include the port city of La Guaira, where at least 100 buildings have collapsed, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Emergency responders were forced to climb through the ruins of collapsed buildings as distraught residents searched for their loved ones into Wednesday evening.

Many buildings, including in Caracas, appeared to be destroyed or significantly damaged. 

Furniture and rubble were piled on the streets as homeowners stood outside in shock.

“When we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie,” said one local resident, Maria Alejandra.

“We had to climb over the rubble and everything. The building superintendent with the baby and all the neighbors coming down. But from that building, I only saw that one family got out.”

Caracas resident Martha Añez told CNN that she “leaned out onto the balcony, screaming, ‘We’re trapped! We need help! Please, someone come!’”

With the major quakes being so close together, “it felt endless,” she said.

The massive geological event occurred as many Venezuelans were at home celebrating Battle of Carabobo Day, a public holiday marking the 1821 victory that helped secure the country’s independence from Spain. 

“As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming,” said Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas. “Everyone was running down the stairs.”

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the earthquake shook several states.

“We understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to protocols to activate aid and rescue efforts to help those who need it most,” Cabello said on state television. “Be very careful with children and the elderly; call each other and check that no one has been harmed.”

In January, the US launched a barrage of strikes in Venezuela, culminating in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

The pair was brought to the US and jailed.

The Maduros sent a message of solidarity while locked up in federal custody in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, CNN reported.

“Today, there is only one message: maximum unity, maximum solidarity, and maximum action,” the message posted on Maduro’s official Telegram channel read. 

“Let no one be left alone, let each community take care of their children, their grandparents, their sick,” said the statement on behalf of the couple, who face drug trafficking and weapons charges. 

“Venezuela has faced great trials, and we will come out of this one strong too, with faith, discipline, and solidarity.”

The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands after the quakes, but the warning was withdrawn about an hour later.

But the warning was withdrawn about an hour later.

The quakes are among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.

The nation lies in a seismically active zone, where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate. 

Roughly 30,000 people were killed when an earthquake destroyed much of Merida and Caracas in March 1812, according to the USGS.

Within 24 hours of the Venezuela quakes, two other strong earthquakes rattled different parts of the globe. 

A 5.6-magnitude temblor hit Northern California at 8 a.m. Wednesday local time, resulting in scattered power outages and officials saying some injuries were reported.

Then at 7:30 a.m. Thursday local time, a magnitude 6.9 quake struck coastal Japan, with no immediate injuries or major damage reports.

With Post wires