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Twin quakes, rising toll
Back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, and the death toll has climbed to at least 1,450 people, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, with 3,150 others injured and at least 12,721 people losing their homes.
“At least 1,450 people are confirmed dead, according to a Sunday update from National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez”
CNN said it was on the ground in Caracas as teams dug through rubble on the fourth full day of frantic rescue efforts, while rescue workers from Fairfax County, Virginia listened for signs of life amid the debris in La Guaira.
NPR described the search continuing on day 4 in Caracas, with rescue workers calling out, "We are the rescue team. If you are alive please make any noise," as a middle-aged man in a blue shirt watched in desperation.
In La Guaira, NPR reported devastation with buildings pancaked and floors stacked like decks of cards, and it quoted Andrea Peña, a 34-year-old resident whose home was destroyed, saying, "My dad and my nephew are trapped there."
Aid, anger, and missing
As the search narrowed, CBS News reported that Jorge Rodriguez said Saturday afternoon the death toll had risen to 1,430 and that another 3,238 people were injured, while it said about 51,000 remained missing.
CBS News also reported that Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said the Venezuelan government was mounting a full response during these "critical hours for rescuing people alive" and welcomed the arrival of international rescuers and humanitarian aid.
In La Guaira, Firstpost reported that interim leader Delcy Rodriguez sought to reassure the public that the country was receiving support and “not alone” during the crisis, while it said the first US relief flights arrived in Caracas as authorities faced criticism over the pace of the emergency response.
Firstpost quoted Yessica Mendoza saying, "We were the ones who pulled them out ourselves. No help ever came," after her 25-year-old daughter Yesimar Rodriguez and son-in-law Jhomel Anaya were killed when their home collapsed in La Guaira.
Human rights and what’s next
Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard warned that the earthquakes in Venezuela could deepen the country’s long-running humanitarian and human rights crisis, saying the disaster risks "further compounding an already severe and protracted human rights crisis and humanitarian emergency".
“"further compounding an already severe and protracted human rights crisis and humanitarian emergency"”
The International Rescue Committee said the earthquakes worsen an existing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and that, "People have lost everything in a matter of seconds, and the need for immediate support is overwhelming," as it scaled up services after the June 24 disaster.
CNN reported that officials were hoping a surge of foreign aid and rescue teams would bolster exhausted emergency workers and help address humanitarian needs, while it said UNICEF estimated about 680,000 children were in need of humanitarian assistance.
Reuters and other outlets in the CNN report also described the immediate response as continuing across hard-hit areas, with a government blood drive launched to help increase reserves at hospitals as search and rescue teams continued to sift through rubble.
