Venezuela earthquake death toll surpasses 900; 50,000 reported missing

Pars Today – Search and rescue operations in Venezuela are continuing several days after two devastating earthquakes struck the country, while shortages of heavy equipment and rescue resources are putting the lives of hundreds trapped beneath the rubble and thousands of missing people at risk.

According to Pars Today, citing the Fars News Agency, the Venezuelan government announced that following the devastating earthquakes on Wednesday, which destroyed parts of Caracas and surrounding areas, 172 people remain trapped under the rubble, 920 people have been confirmed dead, and 3,360 others have been injured. Reports also indicate that more than 50,000 people are still missing.

On Friday, residents and rescue teams continued their efforts to locate survivors as quickly as possible. Nearly two days after the twin earthquakes struck the country, foreign rescue workers and emergency response teams were only beginning to arrive in the hardest-hit areas.

According to Reuters, frustration and anger are growing over what many describe as an uneven distribution of relief efforts in some of the worst-affected regions, including La Guaira State. There, residents and volunteers have continued searching through the rubble by hand due to a lack of heavy machinery and the limited presence of official rescue forces.

The United Nations estimates that the direct damage caused by the two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, amounts to approximately $6.7 billion. The second quake is considered the most powerful earthquake to strike Venezuela in more than a century.