Venezuela, June 25 : Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez has declared a state of emergency after Venezuela was struck by back-to-back powerful earthquakes on Wednesday, with authorities confirming fatalities and rescue operations underway across affected areas, according to CNN. In a televised address on Wednesday (local time), Rodriguez confirmed that lives had been lost in the disaster, saying she extended her condolences to those who have "sadly suffered the loss of a family member." She did not specify the number of deaths. According to CNN, emergency response teams have been deployed to search for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings and damaged structures following the earthquakes.