Rescue workers in Venezuela struggled overnight Friday to rescue hundreds of people trapped under rubble and find thousands more missing after two of the strongest earthquakes in recent Latin American history. TASR informs about it according to a Reuters report.
- Two strong earthquakes in Venezuela have claimed at least 235 lives.
- American geologists estimate that the number of victims may exceed ten thousand people.
- A list of approximately 49,500 missing persons is published on the official website.
- The earthquakes destroyed hundreds of buildings and seriously damaged at least eight hospitals.
- The United States has pledged $150 million in humanitarian aid to Venezuela.
Two consecutive earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 that struck overnight Thursday have left at least 235 dead, according to the local government. However, the government did not provide an overall estimate of the number of victims. The US Geological Survey predicted more than 10,000 deaths.
The list of the missing is growing
A website created to find missing persons lists 49,500 missing people.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that three Spaniards were among the victims, with another 99 Spanish citizens missing. Portugal reported that nine Portuguese were also killed in the earthquakes in Venezuela and 56 of its citizens are missing.
Rescuers from abroad are also on the scene, and firefighters, soldiers and residents are searching the destroyed buildings. One of the residents of the affected city of La Guaira said that her 19-year-old son is also trapped under the rubble of the seven-story apartment building, and they have no equipment to free him.
A land without homes
Thousands of people in this country, weakened by decades of economic and political unrest, were left homeless after the earthquakes. The government confirmed that 250 buildings were damaged or destroyed. At least eight hospitals, the building of the Venezuelan Red Cross and the French Embassy are heavily damaged.
The coastal state of La Guaira is one of the worst-hit areas, with crowds of volunteers carrying food, medicine and water moving along the highway connecting Caracas and La Guaira.
Destroyed cities and help
Near the epicenter in Morón, Carabobo state, houses have collapsed and residents are without water and electricity. Families tried to save everything they could from their homes, including mattresses, televisions and washing machines. A Reuters journalist claims to have seen members of “colectivos” – pro-government biker groups long accused of harassing opposition supporters – helping with rescue operations.
Several countries have pledged their support to Venezuela in this situation, including the United States, whose government pledged $150 million in humanitarian aid on Thursday.
A challenge to the UN
The director of the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Tom Fletcher, says the organization is coordinating international rescue teams and a “massive collective effort” is needed.
Until now, the deadliest earthquake in Venezuela’s modern history was an earthquake in 1967, when several buildings collapsed in Caracas, killing a total of 240 people.
