Search and rescue teams in Venezuela pulled 33 people alive from collapsed buildings over the weekend, but officials and aid workers warn that time is rapidly running out for nearly 50,000 others feared missing following twin earthquakes. The death toll has surpassed 1,400, with over 3,000 injured and a similar number displaced to shelters.
The most severe destruction is concentrated in La Guaira state, where residential buildings, hotels, and public housing crumbled after magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck in quick succession on Wednesday. Hundreds of aftershocks continue to rattle the region, hampering rescue operations and forcing survivors to remain outdoors.
Among the 33 rescued were an infant extracted by U.S. rescuers, an 11-year-old boy found by a Colombian team, and another child of the same age rescued by Mexican crews. U.S. firefighters from Fairfax County, Virginia, deployed by the State Department, were actively working in La Guaira.
Sebastian Eugster, a Swiss rescue-team leader, noted that the probability of finding survivors decreases significantly after approximately 72 hours, a mark that passed on Saturday evening. The exact number of missing individuals remains uncertain, with government figures differing from some estimates. Families have reported 68,900 people missing, highlighting the chaotic accounting of the dead, displaced, and those whose communications have been cut off.
Starlink has begun providing free connectivity to affected areas, enabling SMS communication for users of various mobile carriers even when terrestrial networks are unavailable. Pope Francis expressed solidarity with the victims and survivors, offering prayers for those affected by the earthquakes.