Rescue teams and volunteers are tirelessly digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings, racing to find survivors more than 72 hours after a double earthquake hit Venezuela. At least 1,430 people have been killed and tens of thousands remain missing.
Experts say the first three days after a disaster are critical for locating survivors trapped under debris. That window closes on Sunday. “The situation is very chaotic, hot, and disorganized,” said Australian firefighter Craig Demeillon, 43, who flew from Miami, Florida, to La Guaira—the hardest-hit area—to assist. “There is still hope for many more people to find.”
In one of the most dramatic rescues, coastal residents pulled a newborn baby alive from the rubble on Friday, about 32 hours after two powerful tremors of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck on Thursday. A widely shared video shows a man sobbing as he cradles the baby in his arms.
Search efforts have been hampered by restricted access to La Guaira state and a requirement that volunteers obtain passes to enter the safe zone. “You need a permit to save lives. Imagine that,” said Carlos Itriago, 27, who wanted to join the rescue effort, standing in line for clearance into the disaster zone. “How many lives have been lost since then?”
The first U.S. military aid flights have landed in Caracas, and a navy ship is offshore as international search-and-rescue teams arrive with sniffer dogs and specialized equipment.
The United Nations says up to 6.76 million people may need shelter, clean water, and medical care, warning that the death toll and number of recovered bodies could continue to rise as rescue efforts shift to the grim task of body collection.
