Rescue efforts continue as death toll rises after Venezuela earthquakes
More than 1,450 people have died and thousands remain missing following twin earthquakes in Venezuela, with international rescue teams working to extract survivors and provide aid.
Rescue teams from El Salvador, Mexico and Venezuela are working to free 21-year-old Aaron Levi Cantillo Vargas, who was located five days after the twin earthquakes struck La Guaira. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said a doctor had managed to keep the victim hydrated and that rescuers hoped to extract him within hours, despite a dead body obstructing the effort.
In Caraballeda, a 60-year-old woman who survived 86 hours under rubble described being rescued after praying and hearing rescuers call out, saying she felt “reborn” as she emerged.
International aid has arrived, with the Norwegian Refugee Council’s regional head, Beatriz Ochoa, emphasizing the need for shelter, food, water, hygiene supplies and privacy for displaced families. She noted that schools are being used as temporary accommodation but should return to education as soon as possible.
A mother and newborn rescued from a collapsed building in La Guaira were reported to be in stable condition in Caracas.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, accepted offers of assistance, including from El Salvador, and coordinated with the foreign ministry to receive aid. The disaster has compounded the country’s longstanding economic and health challenges, prompting additional support from the United States and other nations.
Local volunteers continue to search for missing residents, with some hearing faint tapping sounds that may indicate survivors, though the window for successful rescues is narrowing.