The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez. Speaking on state television, he reported that another 3,200 people were injured and 3,100 left homeless by the disaster.
Rescue Efforts Continue Amid Widespread Destruction
Rescuers are still searching for survivors after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes struck within a minute of each other on Wednesday evening, flattening buildings in the north of the country. At least 68,900 people have been reported unaccounted for by their families. Many civilians in La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas, have been using shovels and their bare hands to dig through the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Economic Impact and International Aid
On Saturday, the UN estimated that the quakes caused $6.7bn in damage, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's GDP. The preliminary assessment accounts for losses to assets including housing but does not cover wider economic disruption, the UN Development Programme said in a statement. Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said on state television that more than 14,000 members of the military and police were patrolling affected areas, where access has been blocked and special permits are required to enter.
International Rescue Teams Deployed
Further rescue teams sent by governments from across the world, including Mexico, the US, Brazil, El Salvador and France, arrived in Venezuela on Saturday. It comes after teams from countries including the Netherlands, Turkey and the UK were deployed to aid the search and rescue effort. Jeremy Lewin, a US state department official, said the US military would help coordinate flights to bring in rescue workers, mobile hospitals and supplies. He said two 80-person search teams had been deployed and a US navy transport ship was docked off the coast of Venezuela, ready to receive airlifted survivors in need of medical attention.
Race Against Time to Save Lives
Lewin said it was a "race against the clock" to find people injured in the quakes. He added: "People are trapped under rubble, and the priority is to get the search and rescue teams and the medical professionals and others to them as quickly as possible to save lives." Loyce Pace, the International Red Cross's regional director for the Americas, said: "People are still terrified to re-enter what were their homes."
Foreign Casualties Confirmed
Foreign nationals have been confirmed among the dead, reportedly including 15 of Portuguese nationality or descent, seven Chinese, two Brazilians, five Spaniards and an Italian-Venezuelan.
