Spanish deaths in Venezuela earthquakes reach nine; 131 missing

The death toll of Spanish nationals in Venezuela's devastating earthquakes has climbed to nine, with 131 individuals still unaccounted for, Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed. The ongoing crisis has left a significant impact on the Spanish community residing in Venezuela.

Venezuelan officials have recorded a grim toll of 1,430 fatalities, 3,238 injuries, and 3,142 families displaced by the powerful earthquakes. The nation is in a critical phase of rescue operations, particularly in La Guaira state, where numerous buildings collapsed following the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors.

Amidst the devastation, Spanish emergency response units have achieved crucial successes. The Spanish Military Emergencies Unit (UME) rescued two people alive from the debris on Saturday. One of the survivors had been trapped for nearly 72 hours in a destroyed building in the Vistamar residential area of La Guaira.

These rescues add to three others performed by the Community of Madrid's Immediate Emergency and Response Team (ERICAM), who recovered an elderly person and their two grandchildren from another collapsed structure. Spanish authorities continue to urge citizens in Venezuela to utilize all available consular emergency channels for assistance.