The death toll in Caracas has neared 1,000 in the aftermath of this week’s twin earthquakes as intensified rescue efforts continue but face severe delays due to a critical shortage of heavy machinery.
The tremors, measuring 7.2 and 7.5, struck approximately 160 km west of Caracas on Wednesday. Government estimates currently confirm 920 fatalities and 3,360 injuries, though these figures are expected to rise significantly.
A government-established tracking website, echoed by United Nations (UN) data, lists over 50,000 people as currently unaccounted for.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has predicted a high potential for the death toll to exceed 10,000. If accurate, this would rank the disaster among the deadliest earthquakes in Latin America over the last century.
La Guaira, a coastal city outside the capital, suffered the most severe damage, with over 100 buildings, including high-rise apartments, reduced to rubble.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has pledged a massive deployment of assistance and stated that La Guaira would be militarised to facilitate recovery. However, survivors on the ground report that relief remains patchy, with many residents forced to dig through debris using their bare hands and improvised tools.
Foreign rescue teams have begun to arrive to bolster local efforts. Mexico has dispatched 250 military personnel with rescue dogs, while Colombia sent a team of 60 people, Spain 100 and El Salvador 180.
The Dominican Republic also dispatched their contingent, which became the first search team to reach La Guaira for rescue operations.
The US has mobilised $150 million in aid and dispatched two ships along with aircraft to support search-and-rescue operations.
The disaster hits a nation already severely weakened by decades of economic instability and infrastructure decay. The UN’s migration agency warns that nearly 7 million people could be affected by the catastrophe.
