The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday has risen to at least 1,430, according to the latest figures released on Friday evening. Rescue teams continue their race against time to find survivors trapped beneath the rubble, while families have reported approximately 70,000 people missing following the devastating magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes.
Using hammers and power tools to cut through massive concrete slabs, rescue workers and volunteers are searching for survivors among the collapsed buildings in the heavily affected area of La Guaira.
Humanitarian agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours after a major earthquake to be the most critical period for saving lives, although survival chances may extend if trapped victims have access to food and water.
Public frustration with the authorities has also grown, with many residents criticizing the response of soldiers, firefighters, police officers, and emergency personnel, claiming they were inadequately prepared for a disaster of this scale.
Rescue workers say they are facing enormous challenges while attempting to reach those trapped beneath the debris.
“It is extremely complex. The collapses are very complicated. For example, what you see there is the elevator shaft, and what we are looking at is actually the ceiling,” said Colombian rescue worker Julio Bojaca.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said rescue teams are racing against time in the worst-hit areas.
“The Venezuelan people have united in solidarity to help neighbors, friends, family members, and even strangers. In the midst of this tragedy, every stranger becomes a brother or sister to each of us,” Rodríguez said.
Rescue efforts have also been complicated by continuous aftershocks, which continue to threaten both emergency responders and residents.
Loyce Pace, the Red Cross emergency response coordinator, warned that the frequent tremors have created dangerous conditions for rescue operations.
“I don’t know if people fully understand how constant this threat has been. There have been tremors almost continuously, and that is incredibly frightening,” she told CNN.
She emphasized that emergency teams must proceed with extreme caution when entering damaged buildings to assess structural risks and search for survivors.
Pace also urged residents to avoid returning to their homes until authorities declare them safe, warning that many buildings have suffered severe structural damage and remain at risk of further collapse.
Many Venezuelans were seen mourning as the bodies of loved ones were recovered from the rubble. Omar Guariato recalled celebrating his granddaughter’s fifth birthday when the earthquake struck.
“My house didn’t collapse, but when my daughter ran outside to look for her child, the three-story house next door collapsed onto her. It buried her, and she became trapped,” he said from a displacement camp in La Guaira.
Countries from around the world have rushed to provide humanitarian assistance and deploy search-and-rescue teams to Venezuela, helping local authorities search for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings. The latest earthquake is believed to be the strongest to strike the country in more than a century.
