Miracle rescues continue beyond golden window; teams from 24 nations on the ground

Aftershocks top 430; unofficial missing reports approach 70,000

Rescue workers search a quake-damaged building in the Altamira neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, on June 25 (local time). [EPA]
Rescue workers search a quake-damaged building in the Altamira neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, on June 25 (local time). [EPA]

By Seo Ji-yeon, The Herald Business

The death toll from the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela has climbed to at least 1,450 as the disaster entered its fifth day, with the 72-hour golden window for survival already elapsed. Unofficial missing-persons reports filed on a civilian website have approached 70,000, raising fears that the full scale of the disaster has yet to emerge.

Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela's National Assembly, said the death toll from the series of magnitude-7.5 earthquakes that struck June 24 stood at 1,450 as of Sunday (local time) — an increase of 20 from the previous day.

The injured numbered 3,150, while 12,721 people had been displaced. A total of 774 buildings sustained damage, 189 of which collapsed entirely.

The unofficial missing count is also rising rapidly. As of Sunday, roughly 68,900 missing-persons reports had been submitted to a civilian tracking site operated by opposition groups and civil society organizations. While the government has not officially verified the figure, most entries were filed directly by family members and acquaintances, and international media have cited it as a gauge of the disaster's true scope.

"We are living through a very grave and decisive moment," Rodriguez said at a news conference.

More than 430 aftershocks of varying magnitudes have struck since the initial quake, and residents in affected areas have been sleeping outdoors — in streets and parks — out of fear of further collapses.

Although the 48-to-72-hour golden window that experts consider the most critical period for survival has passed, miraculous rescues have continued at the scene.

A rescue worker rests with his head bowed into his palms in Caracas, Venezuela, after a magnitude-7.2 earthquake struck the country and other parts of the Caribbean on June 25 (local time). [Getty Images]
A rescue worker rests with his head bowed into his palms in Caracas, Venezuela, after a magnitude-7.2 earthquake struck the country and other parts of the Caribbean on June 25 (local time). [Getty Images]

French and American rescue teams pulled a father and son from the rubble in Caraballeda, in the hard-hit state of La Guaira, and transported them to a hospital, according to AFP.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said Sunday that 33 additional survivors had been pulled from the wreckage. She released footage of an 11-year-old boy being rescued from beneath a collapsed building, saying, "Every life is Venezuela's hope."

CNN reported that a Salvadoran rescue team in La Guaira freed a 15-year-old girl and her dog from the rubble of a collapsed building. A Spanish emergency rescue team also succeeded in pulling a woman to safety after she had been trapped under debris for roughly 72 hours.

At another rescue site, footage circulated of a rescuer reassuring an elderly person trapped in the rubble, saying, "The roof will not fall, and even if it does, I will stay with you until the end" — a moment that moved many local residents.

The rescue operation continues to face serious obstacles, however. Volunteers and relief vehicles converging from across the country have caused severe gridlock on what is in effect the only highway connecting to La Guaira state, delaying the arrival of international rescue teams at the scene.

The Venezuelan government has restricted access to the disaster zone to authorized personnel and government vehicles, prompting some volunteers to protest after being turned away.

So far, about 2,700 rescue personnel and 521 metric tons of relief supplies from 24 countries have arrived in Venezuela to support the operation.

Local rescue authorities say the odds of finding survivors are diminishing with each passing hour, but they have not ruled out the possibility that people remain alive and are pressing on with the search. The scale of the disaster is also expected to grow as missing-persons cases are confirmed.


sjy@heraldcorp.com