Venezuela Earthquakes: 33 Rescued, Thousands Missing Under Rubble

A desperate race against time is underway in Venezuela as rescue teams work to find survivors buried under rubble following two powerful earthquakes. Over 1,400 people have died, and tens of thousands remain missing, with the window for saving lives rapidly closing.

Foreign rescue teams, including a Swiss contingent, have begun arriving in the heavily impacted coastal region of La Guaira. However, before their arrival, families and volunteers had already spent days sifting through debris, searching for both the living and the dead. They often lamented the lack of heavy machinery and a limited state presence, while hundreds of aftershocks added to the destruction and fear.

“

There is a window of approximately three days, 72 hours, and the possibility of saving people later decreases.

The government, led by interim president Delcy Rodriguez, has thanked civilian volunteers for their aid efforts but later imposed restrictions on road access. Officials stated that traffic was hindering emergency vehicles and that only those with special permits could use the roads. While government figures indicate hundreds are missing or trapped, an opposition website has listed 50,000 missing people, a number that has seen a slight decline since Saturday.

Experts from the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a potential for 10,000 fatalities, which would rank this earthquake among the deadliest in Latin America's recent history. Sebastian Eugster, head of a Swiss rescue team, noted that the optimal window for rescues is about 72 hours, and the possibility of saving people diminishes significantly afterward. His team, using sniffer dogs, found several people alive but could not extract them in time. As the 72-hour mark passed, the Swiss team, along with others and local authorities, will determine when to end rescue operations, though they plan to stay and assist with other tasks.

“

The Swiss team will determine together with other teams and local authorities when rescue operations will end, but they will remain on the ground to help with other tasks.