Venezuelans search through rubble as earthquake death toll rises

Massive search-and-rescue operations were underway in Venezuela Friday as civilians and emergency workers rushed to find those trapped beneath the rubble more than a day after devastating twin earthquakes killed over 230 people. At least 235 people have been killed and more than 4,300 injured after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck west of the capital, Caracas, on Wednesday evening less than a minute apart. They were among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, sending tremors across much of the country and neighboring areas. Television footage showed emergency workers rescuing injured people and animals from collapsed buildings. Many were covered in dust and blood as distraught relatives cried out for loved ones and others frantically searched for survivors. Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said late Thursday that about 200 people remained trapped beneath collapsed buildings, while around 250 structures had been damaged or destroyed. Nelson Ospedales felt the earthquakes from his home in Caracas’ Altamira neighborhood. “Material possessions can be recovered, but at this moment, the competent authorities — such as firefighters and civil defense — have been completely overwhelmed. They need more personnel,” Ospedales told Noticias Telemundo in Spanish. “Hospitals have become severely congested.” Ospedales house partially collapsed in the quakes and he’s now staying with a relative, he said. Hospitals had reached capacity by Thursday evening as the country’s health system struggled to cope with the influx of patients, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said on state television. President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency following the earthquakes, ordering the closure of Caracas’ international airport, suspending metro and rail services in affected areas and shutting schools for the remainder of the week. Overnight, thousands of people who lost their homes slept outdoors, sheltering in tents or sleeping on benches and makeshift beds after being displaced by the disaster. As rescue efforts unfolded, President Rodríguez visited the coastal town of Macuto in La Guaira state, one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquakes. The state, which borders Caracas and is home to the capital’s main international airport, saw about 70,000 families affected, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said. Governments and humanitarian organizations around the world mobilized assistance, with emergency supplies and rescue teams arriving from countries across Latin America, Europe and Asia. A senior U.S. Southern Command official arrived in Caracas late Thursday to oversee Defense Department relief operations, the U.S. military said. The Trump administration also eased sanctions to authorize transactions related to earthquake relief that would otherwise be prohibited. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States was “ready, willing and able to help” Venezuela. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington would deploy search-and-rescue teams, while the Pentagon would provide logistical support and help restore operations at Caracas’ damaged airport. Tom Fletcher, head of the U.N.’s humanitarian agency, said search-and-rescue teams were deploying from around the world. “Every hour counts,” he wrote on social media.