Venezuelans Search for Missing After 7.2 And 7.5 Quakes Kill At Least 920

Back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela killed at least 920 people and left more than 51,000 missing, as Venezuelans took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands in the aftermath of the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes that struck late Wednesday.

The BBC said the death toll reached 920 with at least 172 people still believed to be trapped, and it reported that in La Guaira alone at least 243 people had been rescued.

Al Jazeera

CNN later put the toll higher, saying the country’s top lawmaker updated the death count to at least 1,430 people, with aftershocks and a lack of heavy machinery complicating rescue efforts.

In La Guaira, the BBC quoted Natacha Diaz saying, "I just want them to be found. I have faith and hope that they are there."

In the same region, AP reported that on Friday night Venezuelan authorities announced they would block off access to La Guaira, the epicenter, as chaos and traffic began to affect search efforts.

As the search continued, AP reported that Venezuelan authorities said those who wanted to enter the blocked-off La Guaira would now have to seek official permits, while providing few details of who would be allowed to enter.

CNN said a US official reported that one of the runways at the international airport near Caracas was now operational, easing a bottleneck for the influx of aid pouring in from other countries.

Al Jazeera

The BBC described families waiting for news and quoted National assembly head Jorge Rodriguez saying the death toll had reached 920, while Acting President Delcy Rodríguez told viewers that dozens of people had been rescued alive.

CNN also reported that hospitals were struggling to treat the injured after decades of neglect, and it said residents had grown frustrated by the slow pace of operations as they endured an anguished wait for word on loved ones.

In a separate scientific framing, France 24 said the disaster consisted of a rare “doublet,” with only about 40 seconds between the first shock and the second one, and it quoted seismologist Piero Poli saying, "It’s also possible that it was just one complex event,".

International response accelerated as rescuers arrived and aid agencies pushed for time-sensitive searches, with AP saying aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours to be a crucial time frame to retrieve people alive.

The BBC said UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the first 72 hours were “crucial,” and it quoted him warning, "We cannot pause for a second while we hear them".

CNN reported that across 17 flights, over 1,600 rescuers from around the world arrived in Venezuela to support search and rescue efforts, and it said 10 more countries were set to join the operations.

NBC News said Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency, announced that the airport in Caracas was closed, trains were suspended and school was canceled for several days, and it added that Venezuelan Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said at least 235 people died and more than 4,300 were injured.

NBC News also reported that U.S. Southern Command said Marine Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard would coordinate the U.S. response, while the U.S. Geological Survey estimated the death toll could be in the thousands and possibly more than 10,000.