The increasingly desperate search for survivors in Venezuela entered its third day on Saturday, as people dug through the rubble of collapsed homes and apartment buildings following a devastating one-two punch of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes. Aid agencies emphasize that the first 48 to 72 hours are crucial for retrieving people alive, though this window can be extended if survivors have access to food and water.
A combination of international rescue teams, Venezuelans searching for loved ones, and neighbors utilized shovels, heavy equipment, ropes, and their bare hands atop mounds of toppled concrete throughout La Guaira, one of Venezuela’s most severely impacted states. As of Saturday, the death toll from Wednesday’s quakes stood at at least 1,430. On Friday, the number of missing was reported to be over 51,000. Despite authorities projecting an image of a robust government response, people in the hardest-hit areas reported seeing few state rescue teams.
Jorge Rodríguez, the President of Venezuela’s National Assembly, stated on state television Saturday that there had been 432 seismic events in total, including the two main earthquakes on Wednesday and 430 aftershocks. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced that more than 14,000 members of the military and police were patrolling the affected area, where access is now restricted and requires special permits.
Jorge Rodríguez also confirmed that over 2,000 rescue units from 21 international organizations are either on the ground in Venezuela or en route. According to a senior U.S. official, one runway at the heavily damaged Simón Bolívar International Airport, which serves Venezuela’s capital, was operational as of Saturday. The U.S. has deployed 80-person search and rescue teams from Los Angeles and Fairfax County, equipped with canines and specialized gear, who were activated within two hours of the disaster and are actively working to pull survivors from the rubble. County and city teams from Miami are also en route.
The U.S. has committed $150 million towards disaster relief and is preparing to announce an additional package in the nine-figure range soon, with the senior U.S. official highlighting Venezuela’s importance to U.S. national and economic security. Additionally, Starlink has agreed to provide free emergency satellite internet services to support recovery efforts.
Government forces were seen distributing food and water to survivors in La Guaira. Rodríguez stated that her government was mounting a full response during these “critical hours for rescuing people alive.” The disaster presents a significant challenge for Rodríguez, who assumed office in January. Venezuela has been grappling with economic disarray for over a decade, and many citizens question the legitimacy of the political movement she represents.
The number of fatalities was anticipated to rise, with independent digital databases reporting tens of thousands of missing individuals. These figures may include people who are incommunicado due to a lack of cellphone signals, and some reports might be duplicated. As of midday Friday, the number of injured stood at over 3,300, and authorities reported rescuing 243 people.
Jorge Rodríguez reported on Saturday that more than 3,000 families have been affected, and over 7,500 people are currently in hospitals. The International Organization for Migration estimates that up to 6.76 million people could be impacted, with approximately 2 million of them in Caracas alone. Experts noted that the rapid succession of shallow quakes amplified the destruction.
Loyce Pace, the International Red Cross’ regional director for the Americas, commented that “people are still terrified to reenter what were their homes.” Many survivors continued to sleep outdoors. In the city of Maiquetia, residents formed lines outside stores and pharmacies that served them one by one behind closed doors. In one instance, a woman desperately threw herself to the ground to shield a package of diapers with her body.
Search efforts were at times disrupted by traffic and crowds of motorcyclists. Mexican soldiers and volunteers repeatedly requested silence to listen for signs of life beneath the rubble, but bikers, both civilian and uniformed, continued to honk horns and rev engines, causing frustration for first responders. In Catia La Mar, adjacent to the country’s main airport, some individuals began to carry off essential goods like toilet paper and food from stores. Others swarmed a civilian pickup truck distributing bread and water until a soldier intervened. The parking lot of a pharmacy had been transformed into a makeshift shelter with tarps, hammocks, and tents.
A few miles away, Yuleidy Cadenas, 28, stood across the street from a collapsed public housing building, holding onto hope that her son, mother, and brother would be pulled out alive. She recounted fleeing barefoot from another building as it crumbled on Wednesday, only to find her mother’s 12-floor apartment tower had pancaked. “I got on top of the rubble and told them to yell back, and nobody did, not my brother, nor my son or my mother,” Cadenas said.
