LA GUAIRA — Venezuela's official earthquake death toll has risen above 1,400 as emergency crews continued searching for survivors after the critical 72-hour rescue window closed, with authorities warning that hopes of finding more people alive beneath the rubble were rapidly diminishing.
Government authorities said at least 1,450 people had been confirmed dead following the twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela last week, while more than 3,000 people were injured and thousands remained unaccounted for. Officials said rescue operations would continue despite the reduced likelihood of additional live rescues.
International urban search-and-rescue teams from dozens of countries remained deployed in the hardest-hit areas, particularly in La Guaira state, where collapsed residential buildings and damaged infrastructure complicated recovery efforts. The United Nations said more than 2,000 international rescue personnel and search dogs had been mobilized at Venezuela's request to assist local responders.
Rescue workers reported several survivors had been pulled from collapsed structures over the weekend, offering brief signs of hope even as emergency specialists said the period in which trapped victims are most likely to be found alive had effectively passed. Aftershocks continued to pose risks for crews operating in unstable buildings.
Authorities said damage assessments and humanitarian relief operations were continuing alongside search efforts. Power restoration and emergency shelter operations remained under way in affected communities, while officials worked to determine the full extent of destruction to homes and public infrastructure. The number of missing people and the overall toll remained subject to verification as rescue and recovery operations continued.
