CARACAS — Venezuela's death toll from last week's twin earthquakes has risen above 1,450 as rescue workers continued searching through collapsed buildings on Sunday, while authorities said tens of thousands of people remained unaccounted for in the country's worst seismic disaster in more than a century.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez said the confirmed number of fatalities had reached at least 1,450, describing the earthquakes as the deadliest natural disaster in Venezuela's modern history. Officials said thousands of people had also been injured, while large numbers remained missing as emergency crews raced to locate survivors beneath the rubble.
Search-and-rescue operations continued in the heavily damaged coastal state of La Guaira, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Caracas, where apartment blocks, homes and public buildings collapsed after the powerful earthquakes struck on June 24. International rescue teams joined Venezuelan emergency responders, military personnel and volunteers in the search despite fading hopes of finding additional survivors several days after the disaster.
Rescue efforts yielded several signs of hope over the weekend. Emergency crews pulled a father and son alive from the rubble after they had spent four days trapped beneath a collapsed building. Earlier, rescuers had also saved a mother and her nine-month-old baby, underscoring the possibility that survivors could still be found despite the passing of the critical rescue window.
Authorities said more than 2,600 foreign rescue workers from dozens of countries had arrived to assist with search operations, bringing specialized equipment, search dogs and technical expertise. Emergency officials said the mission would continue while there remained any possibility of locating survivors.
Hundreds of aftershocks have continued to rattle affected areas, forcing many residents to sleep outdoors and complicating rescue efforts. Officials have evacuated damaged neighborhoods and warned people not to return to structurally compromised buildings until inspections are completed.
The government said thousands of people had been displaced by the earthquakes and temporary shelters had been established for families unable to return home. Officials also announced plans to assess damaged infrastructure and begin longer-term recovery and reconstruction once emergency operations permit.
Emergency authorities cautioned that casualty figures could continue to change as rescue teams reach previously inaccessible areas and additional victims are identified. The government said search operations, humanitarian assistance and damage assessments remained its immediate priorities as international support continued to arrive.
