Death toll rises to 1,430 after twin earthquakes
At least 1,430 people were killed after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on 24 June, according to Jorge Rodriguez, the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly. The main quake, a 7.2-magnitude tremor, was followed less than a minute later by a 7.5-magnitude aftershock, compounding the devastation.
Thousands of rescuers, relatives, and volunteers have been digging day and night through piles of smashed concrete to find survivors. Authorities have restricted access to some disaster zones and deployed the military as relief efforts continue.
Rescue operations across La Guaira and Caracas
In the coastal state of La Guaira, rescue teams, including firefighters and members of the French Civil Security Training and Intervention Regiment, worked at collapsed buildings in Caraballeda and the Tanaguarena neighbourhood. A drone view showed entire blocks of buildings destroyed, with heavy machinery clearing debris.
Volunteers and residents searched for survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings in Caraballeda. In Caracas, volunteers waited to be called to work in search operations at the site of a collapsed building in the San Bernardino neighbourhood.
Military personnel controlled access to La Guaira state, while heavy machinery was deployed to clear debris. A newly created webpage has registered almost 50,000 missing people, according to a wall of photos of missing people at Parque Ali Primera.
Survivors and victims
Family members and neighbours of Jhonquer Cerpas, 13, reacted with emotion during his rescue in La Guaira. Maria Esther Bernal was seen inside her house partially damaged by the quakes in Catia La Mar. Bodies of earthquake victims were placed at the Port of La Guaira as people attempted to identify their relatives.
Rescue workers carried a man rescued from a building that collapsed in the earthquakes. A woman wore a T-shirt reading 'Help me find my family' as emergency vehicles and rescuers operated near collapsed buildings.
International response and aid
Members of the French Civil Security Training and Intervention Regiment were among international teams assisting in rescue efforts. Volunteers sorted packages of aid for people affected by the earthquakes. People affected by the quakes lined up for food in La Guaira.
A vigil was held in tribute to victims outside Valencia Cathedral in Valencia, Spain. Meredith Poole, of Gideon Rescue Company, was seen petting a rescue dog while taking part in rescue efforts.
