Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 1,943 as Thousands Remain Missing

The death toll from the twin earthquakes that devastated parts of Venezuela has risen to 1,943, with rescue teams continuing a desperate search for thousands of people believed to be trapped beneath collapsed buildings or still unaccounted for.

According to AFP, the disaster has also left more than 10,500 people injured and displaced about 15,000 residents since the powerful earthquakes struck last week.

The twin quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, rocked Caracas and the southeastern city of Yumare, flattening residential neighbourhoods and causing widespread destruction.

Although the critical 72-hour rescue window passed on Saturday, emergency responders have continued search-and-rescue operations in the hope of finding more survivors.

Authorities believe tens of thousands of people remain missing, while rescue operations involve about 30,000 Venezuelan emergency personnel and 2,700 international rescue experts, according to Al Jazeera.

Speaking on Sunday, interim President Delcy Rodríguez said rescue efforts would continue despite the challenges.

“People are still being recovered alive and, therefore, operations are not being suspended. We always maintain hope,” she said.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has warned that the humanitarian toll could rise substantially.

The agency said there is a 44 per cent probability that the death toll could exceed 10,000 and a 30 per cent chance fatalities could surpass 100,000, based on the scale of the disaster and the extent of structural damage.

The USGS also warned of the risk of ground liquefaction, an earthquake-induced phenomenon in which water-saturated soil loses its strength and behaves like a liquid, increasing the likelihood of building collapses and landslides.

It further cautioned that strong aftershocks remain possible and that the disaster’s impact is likely to be widespread.

Authorities said 24 countries have joined the international response, deploying more than 2,700 rescue and support personnel, approximately 86 search-and-rescue teams with trained dogs, and over 500 tonnes of humanitarian supplies.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a growing risk of disease outbreaks in the affected communities.

Preliminary assessments indicate that the earthquakes generated about 1.2 million tonnes of debris in La Guaira, the worst-hit state, where residents are also grappling with severe food shortages, disruption of essential services and widespread communication outages.

Emergency agencies continue to race against time as hopes of finding additional survivors gradually diminish.

AFP