Venezuela earthquake death toll tops 1,400 as rescue window closes

Venezuela is in a race against time to find survivors after two powerful earthquakes struck the country on Wednesday. The official death toll has risen to 1,450, with thousands more injured and widespread destruction in the coastal state of La Guaira Source: larepublicaco. However, the number of missing remains highly contested: while the government reports hundreds, an opposition-led website lists 50,000 people as missing — a slight decrease from 55,000 the previous day Source: lajornadamx.

Rescue efforts

Rescue teams from multiple countries, including Colombia, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United States, have joined the search. Several children have been pulled alive from the rubble, including an 11-year-old rescued by a Colombian team after five hours of work Source: larepublicaco. But the 72-hour mark for survival has passed, drastically reducing the odds of finding more survivors Source: larepublicaco. A Swiss rescue team leader noted that they found people alive but could not extract them in time Source: lajornadamx.

Criticism and challenges

Locals and volunteers have complained about the shortage of heavy equipment and limited government presence Source: lajornadamx. The government restricted access to the main highway, citing the need to prioritize emergency vehicles Source: lajornadamx. Meanwhile, the US Geological Survey estimates that the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes could have caused over 10,000 deaths, which would make this one of the deadliest disasters in Latin America this century Source: lajornadamx.