CARACAS/LA GUAIRA/MORON, June 26 (Reuters) - Rescue teams worked through the night to pull hundreds of Venezuelans trapped under rubble and search for thousands more still missing, after two of the most powerful earthquakes in modern Latin American history struck areas in and around the capital, Caracas.

The government said 235 bodies had been taken to medical centers, without providing an overall estimate of the death toll from the two earthquakes that struck about 160 kilometers west of Caracas on Wednesday with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5.

A website set up to track the missing, and published by opposition leaders in the politically divided country, said that about 49,500 people were still missing, while the US Geological Survey predicted that the death toll would exceed 10,000.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry confirmed the deaths of two of its citizens and that 80 others were missing.

As foreign rescue teams arrived, firefighters, soldiers, and distraught citizens searched through the rubble of collapsed buildings, some using their hands and flashlights in areas without electricity.

"He is under the rubble and there is no equipment to get him out," said Yamileth Jimenez of her 19-year-old son, who is trapped under the rubble of their seven-story apartment building in the coastal city of La Guaira near Caracas.

Thousands have been left homeless in a country already weakened by decades of economic and political turmoil that have led to widespread poverty, the displacement of millions, and the deterioration of infrastructure and services.

Many live in poor, slum areas on the hillsides.

Sleeping on the streets

The government confirmed that 250 buildings were damaged or destroyed, including at least eight hospitals, as well as the Venezuelan Red Cross building and the French embassy, which were reported to have suffered extensive damage.

The coastal state of La Guaira, which borders Caracas and is home to the country's main airport, was among the worst-affected areas, and groups of volunteers streamed across the Caracas-La Guaira highway carrying water, food, and medicine.

Pedro Pérez, 64, an upholsterer, said he lost his home and livelihood and is sleeping on the street with his wife and children. "We've lost everything," he added. "We hope aid arrives quickly."

Near the epicenter in Moron, a coastal town in Carabobo state, houses collapsed and residents faced water and electricity outages. Families tried to salvage what they could of their belongings, such as mattresses, televisions, and washing machines.

Reuters journalists saw members of the "Colectivo" groups, pro-government motorcycle gangs accused of harassing opposition supporters, participating in rescue efforts.

Countries around the world have pledged support, including some that opposed Venezuela during decades of international isolation, political repression, and economic decline under the Socialist Party's rule.

Washington eased sanctions to allow the delivery of aid that would have been blocked had the disaster not occurred.

US President Donald Trump said the United States is "ready, willing and able to provide assistance," while Foreign Minister Marco Rubio explained that Washington would send rescue teams, while the Pentagon would handle logistics and support the damaged Caracas airport.