The number of deaths from the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela continues to rise. According to the latest data, at least 1,430 people have been killed, and another 3,238 have been injured, CNN reports. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
In addition, emergency services and police have recorded reports of 69,000 citizens listed as missing.
Recall that last Wednesday, June 24, two powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 struck Venezuela. A state of emergency was declared in the country. Earlier, media reported at least a thousand victims.
According to authorities, after the two powerful tremors on Wednesday, about 430 aftershocks have been recorded in the country. Constant aftershocks complicate search and rescue operations and pose a threat to emergency workers and survivors trapped under rubble.
The situation is further complicated by a shortage of heavy equipment needed to clear destroyed buildings and search for people. In some areas, specialists and volunteers have to clear debris by hand, as the standard 48-72 hour survival window for victims is rapidly closing.
Yesterday, Colombian rescuers pulled an 11-year-old boy from the rubble, who had been under the debris of a collapsed building for about 70 hours. The operation involved personnel from Colombia's National Disaster Risk Management Service and the Bogotá Fire Department.
"This operation gives hope and strengthens our resolve to continue searching for survivors," Colombia's Ministry of Defense reported on social media X.
The disaster has left at least 3,142 families homeless. Many residents are still waiting for news about the fate of their relatives trapped under rubble or missing.
Hospitals are operating at full capacity and struggling to provide assistance to the injured. One of the reasons cited is the long-standing problems and insufficient funding of the country's healthcare system.
To speed up the delivery of humanitarian aid, the international airport near Caracas has partially resumed operations. This has removed one of the main logistical constraints for receiving aid from abroad.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that support for Venezuela immediately after the earthquake was expressed by the USA, Panama, Qatar, Cuba, Nicaragua, Turkey, Jordan, Colombia, Barbados, the UK, Brazil, and Mexico. They sent humanitarian cargo and specialized search and rescue teams to help local services find people under the rubble.
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sent a telegram expressing condolences to Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez.