Venezuela earthquakes kill 920, tens of thousands missing

The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela has climbed to 920, with tens of thousands reported missing as international rescue teams join a desperate search for survivors. Fury over the perceived lack of an official response erupted in Caracas, where residents jeered interim leader Delcy Rodriguez during a visit to a devastated neighborhood.

United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher told AFP that more than 50,000 people were missing after two powerful earthquakes struck within a minute of each other on Wednesday evening, flattening buildings in the north of the country. The coastal area of La Guaira, near the capital Caracas, suffered the worst damage, with residential buildings reduced to rubble.

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Unfortunately, the collapse is total, and there is little chance of finding survivors. Efforts are now focused on recovering the bodies of the deceased.

Access to the disaster zone will be restricted from 8:00 pm local time, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced. A rescue team from Chile arrived at a residential complex in La Guaira, where efforts are now focused on recovering bodies. "Unfortunately, the collapse is total, and there is little chance of finding survivors," said rescue team leader Nadiomar Polanco. "Efforts are now focused on recovering the bodies of the deceased."

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I am looking for my little Gael… he was only five months old. Please, we need support here. We need machinery to start lifting the columns. We haven’t seen any government officials here, none at all.

Elsewhere, family members and volunteers used their bare hands to dig through debris, lamenting the lack of heavy machinery and official assistance. "I am looking for my little Gael… he was only five months old," said an anguished Marjosly Salazar, 40, whose 16-year-old daughter died in the quake. "Please, we need support here. We need machinery to start lifting the columns. We haven’t seen any government officials here, none at all."

The UN's Fletcher described the situation as a "very, very complex emergency response," warning the death toll could rise significantly. Oil-rich Venezuela is facing its worst earthquake in more than a century, compounded by a decade of economic collapse that has hollowed out hospitals and public services.

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It’s a very, very complex emergency response.