Seven bodies found in ruins of Caracas building after earthquakes

Rescue teams in Caracas recovered seven bodies from the collapsed Rita building early Tuesday, following intense searches for survivors of the earthquakes that struck on June 24. The victims included five women, one of whom was pregnant, a 15-year-old girl, and a 10-year-old boy. A seventh victim, an unidentified adult male, was recovered Tuesday morning.

Rescuers had hoped to find one person who had shown signs of life, but a wall collapsed Tuesday morning, dashing those hopes. As time runs out, rescue teams are intensifying their search under the rubble of the building that collapsed last Wednesday due to the double earthquake.

Authorities now dismiss the possibility of finding survivors in the Rita building. Decomposition odors have intensified in the disaster zone due to the trapped bodies. The earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, caused several structures to collapse across Caracas, La Guaira, Aragua, and Falcón. The official toll stands at 1,719 deaths and 5,000 injured.