Death Toll Climbs to 1,430 After Twin Quakes
The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez. Speaking on state television, he reported that another 3,200 people were injured and 3,100 left homeless by the disaster.
The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes struck within a minute of each other on Wednesday evening, flattening buildings in the north of the country. At least 68,900 people have been reported unaccounted for by their families, as rescuers continue searching for survivors.
Rescue Efforts and Survivors Found
In the coastal city of Caraballeda, an 11-year-old boy was rescued alive from the rubble, interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced on Saturday. “A few minutes ago an 11-year-old boy was rescued alive in Caraballeda. At this moment, every life is a source of hope for Venezuela,” she said in a post on X, accompanied by a video of the rescue.
Many civilians in La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas, have been using shovels and their bare hands to dig through debris. More than 14,000 members of the military and police are patrolling affected areas, where access has been blocked and special permits are required to enter.
Economic Damage Estimated at $6.7 Billion
The United Nations estimated that the quakes caused $6.7 billion in damage, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's GDP. The preliminary assessment accounts for losses to assets including housing but does not cover wider economic disruption, the UN Development Programme said in a statement.
International Rescue Teams Deployed
Further rescue teams sent by governments from across the world, including Mexico, the US, Brazil, El Salvador and France, arrived in Venezuela on Saturday. Teams from the Netherlands, Turkey and the UK were also deployed to aid the search and rescue effort.
However, a specialist team of British crisis-response volunteers from the charity Serve On was stuck at Madrid airport for more than 24 hours. The disruption came after Simón Bolívar International airport, the only international airport serving Venezuela's capital, was badly damaged by the earthquakes.
Their team leader, Vernon Young, told the Press Association: “These things are always time critical. We’re a light team and can move quickly. The sooner you get there, the more chance you have of saving lives.” He added: “We’re a technical rescue team and can potentially find deeply entombed victims just by their movement. We still believe we will make a decent contribution if we get there in the next day or two.”
US Military Assistance
Jeremy Lewin, a US state department official, said the US military would help coordinate flights to bring in rescue workers, mobile hospitals and supplies. Two 80-person search teams had been deployed, and a US navy transport ship was docked off the coast of Venezuela, ready to receive airlifted survivors in need of medical attention.
Lewin said it was a “race against the clock” to find people injured in the quakes. He added: “People are trapped under rubble, and the priority is to get the search and rescue teams and the medical professionals and others to them as quickly as possible to save lives.”
Humanitarian Concerns
Loyce Pace, the International Red Cross’s regional director for the Americas, said: “People are still terrified to re-enter what were their homes.” Foreign nationals have been confirmed among the dead, reportedly including 15 of Portuguese nationality or descent, seven Chinese, two Brazilians, five Spaniards and an Italian-Venezuelan.
