The death toll from the earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to nearly 1,500
Search and rescue operations are continuing in Venezuela following two powerful earthquakes that struck this week. The death toll has risen to nearly 1,500, according to Reuters.
The state of La Guaira, located approximately 40 kilometres north of Caracas, has been hardest hit. Dozens of buildings in the region have collapsed, leaving only rubble.
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, has stated that rescue operations are continuing and the search will not cease as long as there is a chance of finding survivors under the rubble.
According to her, 75 per cent of the electricity supply in La Guaira State has already been restored. School lessons have also been suspended for a further week. A separate presidential commission has been set up to assess the suitability of buildings for continued use.
According to the latest figures, the death toll has risen to 1,450. A further 3,150 people have been injured, and 12,721 have been forced to leave their homes. A total of 774 buildings have been completely destroyed.
Rescue workers emphasise that these are critical hours for saving lives and setting up temporary camps for those who have lost their homes.
Over 2,600 foreign rescue workers have joined the relief efforts. Before their arrival, local residents and volunteers were clearing the rubble themselves in an attempt to find survivors.
Over the weekend, at least 33 people were rescued, including several children. On Sunday, a father and son were pulled alive from the rubble after spending four days trapped beneath it.
An opposition website keeping track of those missing reports that the whereabouts of nearly 50,000 people remain unknown. The day before, this figure stood at over 55,000.
According to estimates by the US Geological Survey, the death toll from the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes could exceed 10,000.
Sebastian Oigster, head of the Swiss rescue team, noted that the best chances of rescuing people remain for approximately 72 hours after the disaster. After that, the likelihood of finding survivors drops sharply.
Among those rescued are a baby, who was pulled to safety by American rescue workers, and two 11-year-old children, rescued by Colombian and Mexican teams.
Pope Leo expressed his support for those affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela and thanked the rescue workers for their efforts.
The US has already allocated $150 million in aid. According to US officials, a new aid package worth hundreds of millions of dollars may be announced in the near future.
Amid the aftermath of the natural disaster, Venezuela’s largest oil refinery, Amuay, with a capacity of 645,000 barrels per day, has halted operations due to a widespread power cut in Falcón state.
