200 still trapped under rubble as rescue operations continue; 250 buildings damaged

Firefighters and rescue workers search for survivors in a collapsed building in Los Corales, La Guaira state, about 38 kilometers northwest of Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday (local time), after a series of powerful earthquakes struck the area. [AFP]
Firefighters and rescue workers search for survivors in a collapsed building in Los Corales, La Guaira state, about 38 kilometers northwest of Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday (local time), after a series of powerful earthquakes struck the area. [AFP]

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Venezuela on Wednesday (local time) has risen to at least 188.

Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela's National Assembly, announced in a televised briefing Thursday that the quake had killed 188 people and injured 1,520 others.

Rodriguez added that 200 people remain trapped under collapsed buildings and that rescue operations are ongoing, while 157 others are still missing. The disaster has displaced 2,927 households.

The material damage has also been severe. At least 250 buildings were damaged, Rodriguez said, with critical infrastructure particularly hard hit — including eight hospitals, 20 shopping centers and 46 public facilities.

A rescue worker operates at the site of a collapsed building in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday (local time), following the earthquake. [Reuters]
A rescue worker operates at the site of a collapsed building in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday (local time), following the earthquake. [Reuters]
Residents help clear rubble from a building collapsed by the powerful earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday (local time). [AP]
Residents help clear rubble from a building collapsed by the powerful earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday (local time). [AP]

"We are conducting rescue operations in the rubble of collapsed buildings and racing against time to save those trapped inside," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez also said that acting President Delcy Rodriguez visited the coastal areas hardest hit by the quake that day. She "is currently in La Guaira state, personally overseeing the disaster response," he added.

La Guaira state, home to Venezuela's main international airport and seaport, suffered the most severe damage from the series of earthquakes, with more than 40 high-rise buildings collapsing.


yckim6452@heraldcorp.com