The death toll from the devastating twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela has climbed to nearly 1,500 as rescue teams continue searching through the rubble in the country’s hardest-hit coastal areas.
Authorities say more than 3,100 people have been injured, over 12,700 displaced, and hundreds of buildings have collapsed, with La Guaira state suffering the worst destruction.
Rescue operations remain underway despite fading hopes of finding more survivors.
Thousands of local volunteers and more than 2,600 international rescue workers are combing collapsed buildings, while occasional rescues have provided moments of hope, including the recovery of a father and son who had been trapped beneath the debris for four days.
Officials said nearly 50,000 people are still listed as unaccounted for on an opposition-backed missing persons registry, although the government has reported far fewer officially trapped.
Rescue experts warn that the chances of finding survivors decline sharply after the first 72 hours, but emergency crews insist they will continue the search.
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Interim President Delcy Rodríguez said rescue and recovery efforts would continue while a special commission assesses the safety of damaged buildings.
Schools in the affected region will remain closed for another week, and authorities say electricity has been restored to about 75% of La Guaira.
International assistance continues to grow, with additional humanitarian aid and rescue teams arriving from several countries.
The disaster has also disrupted Venezuela’s infrastructure and economy, including operations at the country’s largest oil refinery, as officials work to address the humanitarian crisis while aftershocks continue to rattle the affected region.
