Death toll rises, hundreds still trapped after buildings collapse in Caracas
Juan Pablo Arraez, Regina Garcia Cano And Megan Janetsky
La Guaira: Venezuelans searched for survivors beneath collapsed buildings on Thursday and rescue teams rushed to northern areas shaken by powerful earthquakes that authorities say have killed at least 188 people and trapped more than 200. It was feared that many more people would die.
The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that occurred on Wednesday evening were among the strongest earthquakes in Venezuela in more than a century and were felt throughout the region. Approximately 1,500 people were reported injured and thousands missing across the country. Officials said the coastal region of La Guaira, north of the capital Caracas, faced the heaviest damage and loss of life.
Buildings were evacuated as far as Brazil’s Amazon, about 1,700 kilometers from Caracas, where the country’s main airport was damaged and closed.
In cities in northern Venezuela, panicked citizens took to the streets, with many walking among the rubble to look for missing people. Television broadcasts showed rescuers using power tools to push through piles of rubble.
In La Guaira, retired teacher Juan Alberto Mendano climbed through the rubble and passed a body when he saw a trapped woman and gestured for help with his hand.
“Lord, let them rescue him as quickly as possible,” Mendaño said. “When we heard the scream, there was nothing we could do.”
At another damaged apartment complex, residents shouted the names of missing people: “Mirna! Marquitos!”
Offers of aid poured in from around the world, including the United States, which captured then-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a surprise military operation at the beginning of the year.
The natural disaster poses a major challenge for Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, the former vice president who took office in January following Maduro’s capture. Venezuela has been facing economic turmoil for more than a decade, and many people reject the legitimacy of the political movement that Rodriguez represents.
Venezuelan National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodríguez provided updated figures on Thursday on the number of people killed, trapped and injured in the earthquakes.
Delcy Rodríguez said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, which he described as a “disaster area.”
“Dozens of buildings collapsed there… and we are currently conducting intensive rescue operations to save lives,” Rodríguez said. Footage on state television showed three children, covered in dust but alive, being pulled from the rubble at La Guaira.
Rodríguez called on businesses to keep heavy construction equipment ready for rescue operations, adding that United Nations-certified search and rescue teams are ready to assist.
While Venezuela is located near numerous fault lines, its location between the South American and Caribbean plates means that strong earthquakes are much less common than in other parts of Latin America.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the first earthquake, measuring 7.2, occurred west of Moron on the Caribbean coast, about 170 kilometers west of Caracas. It had a depth of 22 kilometers. Just a minute later, the USGS reported a second magnitude 7.5 earthquake with an epicenter 16 kilometers southwest of Moron, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Authorities asked citizens to stay outside on the grounds that aftershocks could cause more damage.
During the earthquake, people ran away from shaking buildings. Many people were stunned Thursday morning to see buildings reduced to skeletons, furniture hanging from windows and helicopters circling overhead.
In La Guaira, Cristian Carreno looked at his burned-out apartment building leaning precariously to one side.
“I lost everything,” he said. “I think there are still people inside who can’t get out. It’s incredibly devastating.”
Dayana Delgado, a mother of three, said she was helpless because her eight-year-old son was missing.
“I want to know where my child is, if he is stranded or in a shelter,” she said.
Delgado asked where the heavy machinery promised by government officials was and pointed out that it was the neighbors who were digging through the rubble.
Authorities warned people not to return to their homes with structural damage. In downtown Caracas, hundreds of people spent the night gathering in parks, parking lots and other open spaces.
“We were afraid the buildings would collapse on us,” said María Cristina Díaz, a 41-year-old cleaner. “My mother, my daughter and I were cold. We didn’t even blink an eye.”
“It was terrible. We cried and screamed. Thank God we are alive,” he added.
Rodríguez said electricity and cellphone service were out in some parts of the capital. He said metro services were stopped and natural gas was cut off. Classes will also be canceled for a few days, and the Ministry of Education said some school buildings will be used as shelters and donation centers.
Families began posting missing persons fliers with photos of their loved ones, while others shared handwritten lists of names as they searched for people still missing. Venezuelans living abroad were having difficulty communicating with their relatives.
The UN human rights mission in Venezuela has called on the government to lift local restrictions on social media so people can access life-saving information in a more timely manner. In August 2024, Maduro ordered X to be blocked in an attempt to suppress the exchange of information between those who rejected his claim to victory in the July presidential election.
Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in his address to the nation late Wednesday. He said the government had created a US$200 million ($289 million) reconstruction fund for earthquake-damaged hospitals and homes and instructed economy and finance ministers to oversee the effort.
Countries from around the world, from Qatar to Mexico, started sending aid to Venezuela. Rodríguez thanked him for the messages of support and offers of help.
Speaking to Rodríguez after the earthquake, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would “immediately send search and rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian aid to Venezuela.”
Speaking in Bahrain on Thursday, Rubio stated that they faced logistical obstacles due to the collapse of the Caracas airport and said, “The government will have a full response.” “It’s going to be big. It’s going to be fast. It’s going to be impactful.”
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