Venezuela earthquakes: The death toll rises again to more than 1,400 | Venezuela

The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430 people, according to one of the country’s top politicians, Jorge Rodriguez.

Speaking on state television, the Speaker of the National Assembly added that another 3,200 people were injured, and 3,100 were left homeless due to the disaster.

Rescuers are still searching for survivors after two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck within a minute of each other on Wednesday evening, flattening buildings in the north of the country. At least 68,900 people were reported missing by their families.

Many civilians in La Guaira, one of the worst-hit areas, use shovels and their bare hands to dig through the rubble of collapsed buildings.

An 11-year-old boy was rescued from the rubble in the coastal city of Caraballeda, interim President Delcy Rodriguez said on Saturday.

“A few minutes ago, an 11-year-old boy was rescued alive in Caraballeda. At this moment, every life is a source of hope for Venezuela,” she said in a post on X, accompanied by a video of the rescue.

The United Nations estimated on Saturday that the quakes caused $6.7 billion in damage, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela’s gross domestic product.

The initial assessment takes into account asset losses including housing but does not cover broader economic disruptions, the United Nations Development Program said in a statement.

Venezuelan soldiers unload aid from a helicopter in La Guaira, one of the worst-hit areas. Photography: Mathias Delacroix/AFP

Delcy Rodriguez, the South American country’s acting president, said on state television that more than 14,000 military and police personnel were patrolling the affected areas, where access was blocked and entry required special permits.

Other rescue teams sent by governments from around the world, including Mexico, the United States, Brazil, El Salvador and France, arrived in Venezuela on Saturday.

This comes after teams from countries including the Netherlands, Turkey and the United Kingdom were deployed to assist in search and rescue efforts.

But a specialized team of British crisis response volunteers, from the Save On charity, which was heading to Caracas, remained stuck at Madrid airport for more than 24 hours. The disruption came after Simón Bolívar International Airport, the only international airport serving the Venezuelan capital, was severely damaged by earthquakes.

Their team leader, Vernon Young, told the Press: “These things are always time critical. We’re a light team and we can move quickly. The earlier you get there, the better your chance of saving lives.”

He added: “We are a technical rescue team and we can find deeply buried victims just by moving them. We still believe that we will make a good contribution if we get there in the next day or two.”

As there are no direct flights from the UK to Venezuela, the team has been at Madrid Airport since 9pm on Friday after connecting flights from Istanbul were cancelled.

Flights from Madrid have also been cancelled, leaving volunteers stranded due to their reliance on civilian transport.

US State Department official Jeremy Lewin said the US military would help coordinate flights to bring in rescue workers, mobile hospitals and supplies.

He added that two search teams consisting of 80 people had been deployed, and a US Navy transport ship had docked off the coast of Venezuela, ready to receive survivors who had been transported by air and who needed medical care.

A US military drone flies over the wreckage in La Guaira on Saturday. Photography: Mathias Delacroix/AFP

Lewin said it was a “race against time” to find those injured in the earthquakes.

He added: “People are trapped under the rubble, and the priority is to get search and rescue teams, medical workers and others to them as quickly as possible to save lives.”

“People are still afraid to return to their homes,” said Louis Pace, Regional Director of the International Red Cross for the Americas.

It was confirmed that there were foreign citizens among the dead, including 15 of Portuguese nationality or Portuguese origin, seven Chinese, two Brazilians, five Spaniards, and an Italian and Venezuelan.

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