More People Rescued, Thousands Still Missing after Venezuela Quakes

Rescuers have pulled 33 survivors from the rubble of Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes this weekend, including children, but tens of thousands remain unaccounted for as the window for finding additional survivors rapidly closes. The death toll has climbed above 1,400 as foreign rescue teams arrived in coastal La Guaira, the most severely affected state.

Families and volunteers spent days searching for survivors and bodies before the arrival of more than 1,600 international rescue workers. They often complained about a lack of heavy equipment and a limited official presence. Hundreds of aftershocks have deepened damage and kept residents on edge.

The government, led by interim President Delcy Rodriguez, has thanked civilian volunteers for delivering aid to La Guaira. However, it has also significantly restricted access to the main road, citing traffic congestion that impedes emergency vehicles. Only accredited personnel are now permitted on the roadway.

The government reports hundreds missing or trapped. However, a website promoted by the country's political opposition on Sunday listed just under 50,000 people as unaccounted for, a slight decrease from the previous day's figure of 55,000. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes could cause more than 10,000 deaths, potentially making them among Latin America's deadliest in the last century.

Sebastian Eugster, leader of the Swiss rescue team, emphasized the critical 72-hour window for saving lives. His 80-member team, utilizing eight search dogs, had located multiple people alive but could not extract them in time. Saturday evening marked the end of this crucial period. The Swiss team will coordinate with other international groups and local authorities to determine when rescue operations will officially conclude, though they plan to remain to assist with other aid efforts. Videos shared by the U.S. State Department showed U.S. crews rescuing a wailing infant, while a Colombian team saved an 11-year-old boy trapped 10 feet deep in rubble.

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There exists a window of roughly three days, 72 hours, where the probability afterwards decreases that you can save people alive.