Venezuela twin earthquakes death toll tops 1,400; over 3,000 injured
International rescue teams continue searching for survivors as authorities report 3,238 injuries and 3,142 people displaced, with shortages of heavy equipment and aid hampering relief efforts in the worst-hit areas.
The death toll from Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes has climbed to 1,430, officials said on Saturday, as rescue teams continued searching for survivors. Authorities reported 3,238 injuries and 3,142 people displaced, while international rescue personnel joined operations amid growing concerns over shortages of equipment and aid in the worst-hit areas.
Venezuelan authorities said around 1,600 foreign rescue personnel had arrived on Saturday to assist in the search for survivors following the devastating twin earthquakes, even as access to the worst-hit areas was tightened.
In La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit coastal regions, residents and volunteers said they continued to face shortages of heavy equipment and limited official support while searching through the rubble of more than 100 damaged or destroyed buildings for survivors and victims.
Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez said 10 more countries were expected to join the international rescue effort, while around 14,000 military personnel and police officers had been deployed in the hard-hit La Guaira region to maintain security and carry out sanitation measures.
Foreign Ministry official Oliver Blanco said the country had received 17 flights carrying more than 1,600 rescue workers, with another 25 flights expected over the next 24 hours. In a post on X, Blanco thanked the international community for its support and solidarity during the crisis.
"We thank the international community for their support and solidarity in these hours of dismay for Venezuelans. United, we will get through this," read her statement.
THE QUAKES CAUSED HEAVY ECONOMICAL DAMAGE
The United Nations has estimated the direct economic losses from Venezuela's twin earthquakes at around $6.7 billion, making them among the country's worst natural disasters in decades. The second quake, measuring 7.5 magnitude, was the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century, causing widespread destruction in Caracas and nearby regions. Authorities have warned that aftershocks remain possible as rescue teams continue searching for survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
Thousands of survivors have been left homeless as the twin earthquakes devastated large parts of Venezuela. Suhayl Sarquiz, 50, told Reuters that her apartment building had been rendered uninhabitable, leaving her and her son without a home after she had already lost her job months earlier. Meanwhile, the US Geological Survey warned that the final death toll could exceed 10,000, raising fears that the disaster could rank among the deadliest earthquakes to strike Latin America in the past century.
The death toll from Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes has climbed to 1,430, officials said on Saturday, as rescue teams continued searching for survivors. Authorities reported 3,238 injuries and 3,142 people displaced, while international rescue personnel joined operations amid growing concerns over shortages of equipment and aid in the worst-hit areas.
Venezuelan authorities said around 1,600 foreign rescue personnel had arrived on Saturday to assist in the search for survivors following the devastating twin earthquakes, even as access to the worst-hit areas was tightened.
In La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit coastal regions, residents and volunteers said they continued to face shortages of heavy equipment and limited official support while searching through the rubble of more than 100 damaged or destroyed buildings for survivors and victims.
Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez said 10 more countries were expected to join the international rescue effort, while around 14,000 military personnel and police officers had been deployed in the hard-hit La Guaira region to maintain security and carry out sanitation measures.
Foreign Ministry official Oliver Blanco said the country had received 17 flights carrying more than 1,600 rescue workers, with another 25 flights expected over the next 24 hours. In a post on X, Blanco thanked the international community for its support and solidarity during the crisis.
"We thank the international community for their support and solidarity in these hours of dismay for Venezuelans. United, we will get through this," read her statement.
THE QUAKES CAUSED HEAVY ECONOMICAL DAMAGE
The United Nations has estimated the direct economic losses from Venezuela's twin earthquakes at around $6.7 billion, making them among the country's worst natural disasters in decades. The second quake, measuring 7.5 magnitude, was the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century, causing widespread destruction in Caracas and nearby regions. Authorities have warned that aftershocks remain possible as rescue teams continue searching for survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
Thousands of survivors have been left homeless as the twin earthquakes devastated large parts of Venezuela. Suhayl Sarquiz, 50, told Reuters that her apartment building had been rendered uninhabitable, leaving her and her son without a home after she had already lost her job months earlier. Meanwhile, the US Geological Survey warned that the final death toll could exceed 10,000, raising fears that the disaster could rank among the deadliest earthquakes to strike Latin America in the past century.
