Six Days after Earthquakes in Venezuela, Rescue Efforts Continue
Rescuers from at least 27 countries are assisting in the rescue efforts.
Rescue efforts continue Tuesday in Venezuela, six days after the double earthquake that has caused at least 1,719 deaths, mainly due to the collapse of numerous buildings. In the state of La Guaira, the epicenter of the devastation, rescuers from around the world are working against the clock today to search for survivors of the tragedy under the rubble, while the chances of finding people alive are fading as the hours pass.
A group of rescuers from the United States, Portugal, Costa Rica, Chile, and Mexico continued this morning with the task of extracting the security guard from a residential building in the town of Catia La Mar who was trapped on the third basement level after the earthquakes last Wednesday. The operation began 24 hours ago with the hope of concluding in three, but the process has been prolonged due to the presence of a beam, as revealed to EFE by the team of specialists. The UN is coordinating more than 2,000 rescuers sent from 27 countries to search for survivors under the rubble after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on June 24.
According to the latest official figures released this Monday, the death toll from the disaster has risen to at least 1,719 and the number of injured to 5,034, while the number of people affected is 15,866 and there are 855 affected buildings, of which “189 suffered a total collapse”. A first rapid experimental assessment carried out by the US space agency NASA using satellite images indicates that the double earthquake in Venezuela may have left some 58,870 buildings damaged or destroyed throughout the affected region.
Rescuers search for survivors after the double earthquake that struck northern Venezuela, in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state (Venezuela).
The Caracas Metro reported on Tuesday that it has resumed service after suspending it the previous day due to a powerful aftershock of magnitude 4.6 in the early hours of the day. “The reactivation of operations is taking place after successfully completing a thorough review of all infrastructure, railways and electromechanical systems,” Metro Caracas assures. For its part, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which is coordinating the response in terms of protection and shelters for the victims of the earthquakes, warned on Tuesday that the humanitarian situation in the affected areas “has deteriorated rapidly.” They stated that there is “a severe shortage of food, the collapse of basic services and an increase in protection risks for the displaced population”.
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