Venezuelans Search for Missing as Back-to-Back Quakes Kill At Least 920 in La Guaira

Back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday night, and by Friday the confirmed death toll climbed to at least 920 with more than 3,300 injured, as rescuers raced to reach survivors beneath rubble in northern areas including La Guaira and Caracas.

Venezuelans in La Guaira took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands, citing the scarcity of government rescuers, as authorities projected an image of a robust response that residents said did not match what they were seeing.

ABC News

AP reported that on Friday night Venezuelan authorities announced they would block off access to La Guaira, the epicenter, requiring those who wanted to enter to seek official permits.

CNN said Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the National Assembly, put the toll at “at least 920 people are dead” and said at least 172 people remained trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

France 24 reported that the UN aid chief said more than 50,000 people were missing after the two back-to-back earthquakes, with the death toll rising to about 920 and at least 3,360 people injured, as international aid started arriving.

As international rescue teams accelerated, CNN described mounting frustration in Caracas, La Guaira and surrounding areas where displaced families had nowhere to go and some residents called for civilian volunteers to help clear debris.

Jorge Rodríguez, Venezuela’s National Assembly president, said Friday that “Each person saved is a miracle,” while also insisting, “We are not going to hide absolutely anything about the magnitude of this tragedy.”

AP News

The Guardian reported that interim president Delcy Rodríguez vowed to save “as many people as possible” as the official death toll almost doubled, and it quoted paramedic Rotny Bombart saying he had spent five hours hunting for his mother in a collapsed tower block in La Guaira called OPP 33.

Bombart told the Guardian that “At first no government emergency workers had appeared at the scene,” and he said “People are working with their bare hands. Tools are essential.”

CBS News said neighbors helped each other dig through rubble across northern Venezuela amid more than 200 aftershocks, while it reported that in La Guaira the coastal region north of Caracas suffered some of the heaviest damage and casualties.

The response effort expanded as international support arrived, with CNN reporting that the US military was on the ground for rescue efforts in Venezuela and that Delcy Rodríguez said she received a call from US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“Venezuela mounts desperate search for survivors after twin quakes kill at least 188 and injure hundreds; Offers of rescue support, aid and condolences pour in”

Buenos Aires Times

CNN also reported that Rodríguez said Trump and Rubio “reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the response efforts by sending rescuers, specialized equipment, support for temporary shelters, and humanitarian assistance,” while it noted that the US shipment was coordinated by the State and Defense Departments.

France 24 said the death toll was about 920 and that at least 3,360 people were injured, while it quoted Chile’s rescue team leader Nadiomar Polanco saying there was “little chance of finding people alive” in a collapsed building complex in La Guaira.

Beyond the immediate disaster, DW reported that Venezuela’s president had declared a state of emergency and quoted Jorge Rodriguez on Friday that the death toll had jumped to 920 with 3,360 injured, framing the quake as a humanitarian crisis with political implications.

El Universo shifted to the political aftermath, reporting that a total of 72 former deputies approved the elimination of the “Interim Government” led by Juan Guaidó, while also saying they agreed to keep the National Assembly elected in 2015 active to legislate on the protection of Venezuela’s resources abroad.