Survivors pulled from rubble as Venezuela quake toll rises

Venezuela quake – Four days after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern state of La Guaira, rescue teams kept searching for survivors as the government reported 1,450 deaths and thousands more were listed as missing. International crews from the U.S. and France p

In La Guaira, the waiting never really ends. Four days after two powerful earthquakes shook northern Venezuela, rescuers still clawed through mountains of debris, pausing only long enough to lift someone out—dust on their faces, a hose of water and IV line in place—before going back into the rubble.

On Sunday afternoon. Venezuela’s government reported 1. 450 dead from the quakes. as criticism from Venezuelans intensified over what many described as an inadequate response. The names of the missing continued to grow. Thousands were reported missing, according to multiple databases being used by families searching for loved ones.

Even as the odds of finding people alive diminish with every passing hour. rescue workers continued to free survivors trapped in collapsed structures. offering families a reason to hold on to hope. Aid agencies say the first 48 to 72 hours after a natural disaster are crucial for retrieving people alive. though the window can extend when rescuers have access to food and water.

Sunday morning brought a brief, urgent burst of relief: rescue workers from the U.S. and France pulled a man and his son from the ruins and carried them carefully on a black tarp into an ambulance. Masses gathered to watch as the survivors—covered in dust—were hydrated through an IV. In a disaster where time feels heavier than debris, such moments became oxygen for the crowd outside the wreckage.

By Saturday, the United Nations said more than 2,200 rescue workers from across the world had arrived, with more still coming. “It’s been incredibly hard work. but we’re going strong. ” said Jason Mercano. a civilian who was able to communicate with family buried under the rubble via social media. “We’ve never given up hope,” he added.

The search has also unfolded in a charged political atmosphere. On state television Saturday. Rodríguez said more than 14. 000 members of the military and police were patrolling the La Guaira state. where access was blocked and special permits were required to enter. Many people in disaster zones said they had seen little of their government. though rescue efforts in La Guaira appeared more organized on Sunday than in the previous days.

For Rodríguez, the former vice president who took office in January after the U.S. capture and removal of then-President Nicolás Maduro. the disaster has become another test in a country already strained by economic disarray for more than a decade. Many reject the legitimacy of the political movement Rodríguez represents. and the earthquake response has offered another fault line for that anger.

Venezuela’s government said Sunday that more than 770 buildings had totally or partially collapsed from the earthquake—twice as many as were reported destroyed or damaged on Friday.

In the streets and shelters of La Guaira. the reality of the quake was everywhere: people climbed remnants of buildings and cried out names. hoping for any proof of life. Coastal communities were coated in dust. In punishing heat, more people wore masks as the stench of decomposition spread. In other areas. teams loaded stacks of bodies—some in white bags. other naked—onto white trucks from the ground of a dirt hospital parking lot. where they were being identified.

The scenes also showed how uneven the rescue work felt on the ground. Without hard hats or other gear, rescuers and civilians wore motorcycle helmets as they searched piles of debris. Some. frustrated by the government’s response. blocked an excavator from leaving the site of a collapse and pulled the operator from its cabin shortly after state workers took selfies in front of flattened buildings and left without helping. The ruling party’s officials often take selfies to show participation in government-related events.

The scale of potential impact is enormous. The International Organization for Migration said over 6 million people could be affected, with some 2 million in the capital, Caracas, alone. Experts said the destruction was amplified by the quick succession of shallow quakes. For days, smaller aftershocks occasionally shook Caracas and areas hit by the earthquakes, including one measuring 4.8 on Saturday.

Search teams and foreign aid continued to arrive from Mexico, the U.S., Brazil, El Salvador, France, and elsewhere. For many in the disaster zone, the images of international crews arriving and climbing through the rubble alongside them brought a flicker of hope.

Yonahí Regalado spent days calling out names, asking the same questions into the dust. She had been calling out the names of her sister and her 1-year-old nephew and godson since 1 a.m. the day after the earthquakes until aid workers began to arrive. “It doesn’t matter who it is, whoever, whether it’s family or somebody else. If there is anyone alive, let’s get them out,” she said, as helicopters circled overhead.

Not far from her story, small moments of humanity mixed with grief and terror. One video showed a Venezuelan rescuer comforting an elderly woman trapped beneath the rubble, telling her she wouldn’t be left alone. “The roof won’t cave in. If it falls, I’ll be here with you,” he said.

Transportation—the lifeline for bringing help to the hardest-hit areas—was also damaged. Simón Bolívar International Airport, which serves Caracas, was badly damaged. One runway was operational as U.S. teams worked to repair the crucial throughway. Jeremy Lewin. a senior State Department official in charge of foreign assistance. told reporters.

The earthquakes have already changed the country’s rhythm for good. and four days later the question remains the same in different forms: how much time is left?. As families keep calling out names and rescue crews keep moving debris. the answer is still being fought for minute by minute across La Guaira.

Venezuela earthquakes La Guaira rescue teams missing people international aid United States France rescue Rodríguez Nicolás Maduro removal UN rescue workers Simón Bolívar International Airport