Venezuela earthquake toll climbs to 1,450 dead, 50,000 missing

The death toll from two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela has dramatically risen to 1,450, with an estimated 50,000 people still missing. Rescue teams are working tirelessly amidst the debris of collapsed buildings, searching for any signs of life.

“

The number of deaths has reached 1,450 people, men and women who lost their lives in the most brutal natural catastrophe our country has suffered throughout its entire history.

Authorities confirmed the grim figures days after the tremors struck. National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced that 774 buildings were damaged or destroyed, including 189 that completely collapsed. The United Nations estimates that around 50,000 individuals remain unaccounted for.

Despite the grim statistics, hope flickers. In Caraballeda, north of Caracas, rescuers pulled a man and his teenage son alive from rubble nearly four days after the quakes, fueling belief that more survivors might be found. "Search and rescue operations continue. We have found people alive, and therefore, operations are not suspended. We maintain our hope," interim President Delcy Rodriguez stated.

“

Search and rescue operations continue. We have found people alive, and therefore, operations are not suspended. We maintain our hope.

However, frustration simmers among locals. In affected areas, residents are actively participating in the search. In Caraballeda, volunteers accused arriving soldiers of standing by as people worked to free victims. "My indignation comes from the fact that a general arrived with about 20 armed soldiers, who stood by a wall. We had to pull out a dead person, and they were calmly standing in a corner," volunteer Alexander Mijares told AFP.

“

My indignation comes from the fact that a general arrived with about 20 armed soldiers, who stood by a wall. We had to pull out a dead person, and they were calmly standing in a corner.

In the port city of La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas, Hector Aguilera is searching for four missing family members. "We don't have the necessary means to get our family out of there. We can't do it alone. They are buried down there; we know they died, but we are here," he told AFP, desperate to at least recover their bodies.

“

We don't have the necessary means to get our family out of there. We can't do it alone. They are buried down there; we know they died, but we are here.