Venezuela Earthquakes Kill 1,430 as Rescuers Search for Survivors in La Guaira

A pair of earthquakes—7.2 and 7.5—devastated Venezuela on Wednesday, and by Saturday the death toll rose to 1,430 as rescuers and civilians searched for survivors in La Guaira.

“LA GUAIRA, Venezuela -- Tensions flared Saturday as desperation grew in Venezuela's state of La Guaira as rescuers and civilians searched for earthquake survivors and the death toll rose sharply to 1,430”

ABC7 Los Angeles

Venezuela’s government said families reported at least 68,900 people missing, three days after the quakes, while people in Caraballeada used shovels, heavy equipment, ropes and bare hands atop mounds of toppled concrete.

ABC7 Los Angeles

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on state television that more than 14,000 members of the military and police are patrolling the area, where access is now blocked and special permits are required to enter.

Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours crucial for retrieving people alive, though that can be extended if rescuers have access to food and water, and the UN said international teams were joining the response as the death toll surpassed 1,400.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that at the request of the Venezuelan Government, 44 international urban search and rescue teams deployed 2,245 specialists and 140 search dogs to extract possible survivors and provide initial medical care.

Tensions flared in La Guaira as desperation grew, with Mileidy Romero telling rescuers and civilians what she saw in Caraballeada: "There's a pile of bodies over there from last night. Newborn babies,".

Romero said that at 8 p.m. there were people alive and that "they haven't bothered to rescue them," while a crowd member, Yeison Marcano, said those searching had received some assistance but that neither police nor the National Guard helped.

Al Jazeera

Jorge Rodriguez, president of the National Assembly, said on Al Jazeera, "Each person saved is a miracle," and he added, "We are not going to hide absolutely anything about the magnitude of this tragedy."

The UN’s Tom Fletcher told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the first 72 hours were "crucial," saying, "It's absolutely grim, it's devastating and for us we are driven on minute by minute, hour by hour" by the sound of survivors underneath the rubble.

As access tightened and traffic chaos began to hamper search efforts, Al Jazeera reported that officials moved to restrict entry around La Guaira and required permits, while residents said the official presence remained limited.

The UN said more than 2,000 rescue workers from 27 countries were deployed to locate people trapped under rubble, and it reported that the earthquakes caused direct physical damage estimated at $6.7 billion, equivalent to about six per cent of Venezuela’s gross domestic product.

UNDP’s RAPIDA assessment placed the range of losses between $4.7 billion and $8.7 billion, while also noting that the figure includes damage to homes and economic assets but does not account for damage to infrastructure, disruption of economic activity, or long-term reconstruction costs.

The UNDP resident representative in Venezuela, Luis Francisco Thais, said, "The speed and accuracy of initial assessments are essential for an effective response," as satellite data pointed to possible power outages in parts of Carabobo, La Guaira, Caracas and Aragua.

On the ground, the BBC reported that in La Guaira alone at least 243 people had been rescued, and it quoted acting President Delcy Rodríguez saying the rescues "brings us joy that they can embrace their families and loved ones".

With the UN estimating that some 8.6 million people were exposed to moderate to severe shaking and about 2.1 million experienced the strongest tremors, the sources framed the next phase as a race to keep finding survivors while damage and displacement needs mount.