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The powerful tremors, felt hundreds of kilometres away and as far as Brazil’s Amazon region, damaged infrastructure across the country.
Residents walk among the rubble of building damaged in earthquakes the previous day in Catia La Mar, Venezuela. (IMAGE: AP PHOTO)
Hope and heartbreak unfolded side by side across northern Venezuela on Thursday as rescue workers dug through mountains of shattered concrete in search of survivors, a day after two of the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in more than a century killed at least 188 people and left hundreds trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
Officials said more than 1,520 people were injured, while rescue operations remained underway amid fears that the death toll could rise further. Entire neighbourhoods across the coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas, were reduced to rubble after twin earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck within a minute of each other on Wednesday evening.
The powerful tremors, felt hundreds of kilometres away and as far as Brazil’s Amazon region, damaged infrastructure across the country, including Venezuela’s main international airport in Caracas, which was forced to suspend operations.
Across northern Venezuela, desperate families searched through broken concrete and twisted steel, calling out the names of missing relatives as emergency crews used heavy machinery and power tools to reach those believed to be trapped.
In La Guaira, retired schoolteacher Juan Alberto Mendaño climbed over debris and past the body of a victim before spotting a woman buried beneath the wreckage, signalling for help with one hand.
“God, let them rescue her as quickly as possible,” he said. “When we heard the scream, there was nothing we could do.”
Outside another apartment complex, anxious residents repeatedly shouted the names of missing family members, hoping for a response from beneath the rubble.
National Assembly President Jorge RodrÃguez said more than 200 people remained trapped, while Acting President Delcy RodrÃguez described La Guaira as a “disaster zone” as the government rushed additional rescue teams and heavy construction equipment to the devastated coastal region.
“Dozens of buildings have collapsed there … and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” she said. State television later showed rescuers pulling three dust-covered children alive from the debris.
RodrÃguez also appealed to private companies to provide cranes, excavators and other heavy equipment, while saying United Nations-certified urban search-and-rescue teams were on their way to assist local authorities.
The earthquakes, among the strongest recorded in Venezuela in over a century, also triggered an international response. Offers of assistance poured in from several countries, including the United States, despite strained ties following the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro in a US military operation earlier this year.
The disaster presents one of the biggest tests yet for Acting President Delcy RodrÃguez, who assumed office in January as Venezuela continues to grapple with years of economic hardship and political instability.
With rescuers racing against time and families refusing to leave the ruins of collapsed homes, authorities warned that the search for survivors was far from over—and that the final human cost of the twin earthquakes remains uncertain.
(with inputs from AFP and the Associated Press)
About the Author
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has c…Read More
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