Venezuelan Earthquake Death Toll Climbs tp 1450

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La Guaira, Venezuela, June 29: Rescue teams from around the world raced against time on Sunday to find survivors of the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week, as the death toll climbed to 1,450 and tens of thousands of people remained unaccounted for.

Authorities said at least 3,150 people have been injured, more than 12,700 displaced and hundreds of buildings destroyed in the country's worst earthquake disaster in more than a century. The coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas, remains the epicentre of the rescue effort, with thousands of emergency workers searching through collapsed buildings.

Despite fading hopes, rescuers continued to pull survivors from the rubble, including several children. On Sunday, a father and son were rescued alive from a collapsed building, while international teams from countries including the United States, Switzerland, Colombia and Mexico reported additional successful rescues.

Experts warned that the chances of finding survivors drop sharply after 72 hours, a milestone reached on Saturday evening. Rescue teams said they had located signs of life in several areas but lacked enough time to reach some victims.

The Venezuelan government said electricity had been restored to much of the affected region and announced the creation of a commission to assess the safety of damaged buildings. Authorities have also tightened access to disaster zones to speed up emergency operations.

International aid efforts continued to expand, with the United States expected to announce additional assistance on top of the $150 million already pledged. Pope Leo XIV expressed solidarity with the victims and praised rescue workers for their efforts.

The twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck on Wednesday and are feared to have caused one of the deadliest natural disasters in Latin America in recent decades. The US Geological Survey has estimated that the final death toll could exceed 10,000.

Pic Credit: AFP