Venezuela’s catastrophic twin earthquakes have killed at least 1,430 people, injured over 3,200 and displaced more than 3,100 families, with rescue teams racing desperately against the closing 72-hour survival window as aftershocks continue to rattle the devastated coastal state of La Guaira.
Time is running out — and so is hope.
Venezuela’s earthquake death toll has climbed to 1,430, with 3,238 people injured and more than 3,100 families displaced into emergency shelters, authorities confirmed Saturday as the critical 72-hour survival window neared its grim end.
PM News reported that the twin earthquakes — magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, striking less than a minute apart during Wednesday’s national holiday — caught thousands inside homes and high-rise buildings. La Guaira, the coastal state that bore the brunt, saw entire apartment blocks reduced to rubble and critical infrastructure severely damaged.
Senior lawmaker Jorge Rodríguez didn’t mince words on state television, describing the catastrophe as “the most disastrous event this republic has suffered in the last 123 years,” according to international correspondents covering the disaster.
Over 430 aftershocks have rattled the region since the initial strikes, keeping survivors on edge and complicating rescue operations.
Yet emergency workers — joined by international teams — refuse to stop.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez drew a firm line in the rubble. “Our priority is to rescue those who are still alive,” she declared, confirming electricity had been restored to roughly 60 percent of La Guaira and that additional heavy equipment had been deployed to the disaster zone.
Approximately 14,000 military and police personnel have been mobilised to support relief operations and maintain security across the devastated region.
Wednesday was a national holiday. Families were home. Buildings were full.
1,430 people never saw Thursday.
NEWS NOW:
