The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week has risen to nearly 3,000, according to official figures published Saturday, as international rescue teams began scaling back search operations under the rubble with fading hopes of finding survivors.
اضافة اعلان
In the city of La Guaira—the hardest-hit by the disaster, located 40 kilometers from the capital, Caracas—entire residential buildings were turned into rubble by the earthquake that struck the country on June 24. A large number of affected people remain homeless, sleeping on the streets or taking refuge in public parks.
Relatives of those trapped under the debris have resigned themselves to the use of heavy machinery, including excavators and bulldozers, to retrieve bodies.
According to a preliminary toll issued by the Venezuelan Ministry of Communications, at least 2,954 people died and 16,592 others were injured in the two earthquakes, which are considered among the strongest and most destructive in Latin America.
The ministry also noted that more than 16,000 people have been left homeless, pointing out that 856 buildings were damaged.
The two earthquakes struck just 39 seconds apart and primarily affected northern Venezuela, plunging the country into a state of mourning and despair over the inability to find relatives, whether alive or dead.
Rescue Teams Departing
On the streets of La Guaira, the number of foreign rescue teams participating in search operations is gradually decreasing.
Rescue teams from the United States, Chile, and other countries have begun preparing to leave. Among them are rescue teams from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, as well as teams from Florida and Virginia.
The chances of finding survivors drop significantly 72 hours after such disasters occur.
Nevertheless, rescue workers managed on Thursday to save a man who remained under the rubble for eight days, providing a glimmer of hope amidst the ongoing tragedy. The capital, Caracas, was also affected by the disaster, though the damage there was far less severe than what was recorded in La Guaira.
According to the US Geological Survey, this 7.5-magnitude earthquake is the strongest in Venezuela since 1900.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez honored the American rescuers on Saturday. "The Venezuelan people will never forget this gesture," she told them at a ceremony held for the occasion.
Rodríguez had previously honored rescuers from the United Kingdom, Qatar, France, India, Barbados, Brazil, and Argentina. She also awarded medals to search dogs.
She stated that she is in contact with certain countries that will contribute to rehabilitating the Maiquetía Airport in La Guaira, which was closed due to the earthquake before being partially reopened to receive humanitarian relief flights.
Rodríguez, who has been leading Venezuela since the United States arrested former President Nicolás Maduro in January, faces criticism over the shortage of rescue teams and equipment prior to the arrival of international crews.
The government has not released official figures for the missing, but the United Nations estimates their number could reach up to 50,000.
AFP
