CARACAS: Rescue teams continued searching for survivors across Venezuela on Sunday after twin powerful earthquakes devastated the country’s northern coast, with the death toll approaching 1,500 and thousands still missing.
Authorities said at least 1,450 people have been killed, more than 3,150 injured and 12,721 displaced following the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck on Wednesday. Officials also reported the collapse of 774 buildings, most of them in the heavily affected coastal state of La Guaira.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez said search-and-rescue operations would continue after more survivors were recovered alive on Sunday, stressing that authorities were maintaining hope despite the passage of the critical rescue window. She also announced the formation of a presidential commission to assess the structural safety of damaged buildings, extended the suspension of school classes by another week and said electricity had been restored to 75% of La Guaira.
The government tightened access to the main highway into the disaster zone, saying heavy civilian traffic was obstructing emergency response efforts.
Rescue operations have been reinforced by more than 2,600 international emergency personnel, although residents previously complained of limited heavy equipment and insufficient official assistance. Officials said at least 33 people had been rescued alive by Saturday evening, including several children, while thousands remain unaccounted for.
On Sunday, rescuers pulled a father and his son alive from the rubble of a collapsed building. Separate international rescue teams from the United States, Colombia and Mexico also rescued several children trapped beneath collapsed structures over the weekend.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has warned the final death toll could exceed 10,000, potentially making the disaster one of the deadliest earthquakes in Latin America’s modern history.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s largest oil refinery, the 645,000-barrel-per-day Amuay refinery, suspended operations on Sunday following a major power outage in Falcon state, adding to the country’s growing humanitarian and economic challenges.
International aid continues to arrive as governments and humanitarian organisations expand relief operations for survivors across the affected region.