- Tens of thousands of people are still missing after two devastating earthquakes.
- More than 16,000 people remain homeless in affected areas.
- Hospitals are facing increasing pressure due to concerns over outbreaks.
The two devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela have left nearly 3,000 dead, according to official figures released on Saturday, as international rescue teams began to end search operations for survivors in the rubble.
The death toll jumped by more than 300 since Friday to 2,954, following the June 24 disaster that left thousands homeless on the streets and in shelter camps.
Tens of thousands more are still missing.
One of Latin America’s most severe earthquakes hit the coastal region of La Guaira, north of the capital Caracas, hardest, where many residential complexes were razed.
Ten days after the twin tremors of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, rescue teams are beginning to complete the search for survivors while families are still trying to recover the bodies of their loved ones from the rubble.
The critical window for relief during disasters such as earthquakes usually ends after 72 hours, although a few people have been found alive this week.
In an apparent sign of the end of rescue missions, interim President Delcy Rodriquez held a ceremony to award medals to the international teams, including some to their dogs.
Venezuela is experiencing “a deep sorrow that grips our people, where families still have hope of finding their loved ones alive, people who have lost everything,” Rodriquez said.
International rescue teams, including some American teams, and some South American teams were beginning to complete their rescue operations, their members said Saturday.
The Los Angeles County Fire Rescue team ended operations after the latest searches showed no signs of life, and teams from Florida and Virginia were packing up to leave this weekend, their teams said.
Many Venezuelans have expressed anger at what they see as their government’s slow response to the disaster, saying families spent the first hours finding their loved ones on their own before international teams arrived.
Rodriguez defended his government’s response, saying thousands of troops and civil servants had been dispatched.
In La Guaira, workers using heavy machinery began demolishing collapsed structures on Saturday while in others, families were still trying to evacuate the bodies of their loved ones for funerals.
“We are still working, we are still looking for bodies. We are continuing. It has not been easy,” said Venezuelan volunteer Francisco Sasquia, who was helping to dig up a collapsed residence.
“We found two bodies which have already been handed over to their families.”
Many are now homeless; more than 16,000 Venezuelans lost their homes due to the earthquakes. Hospitals are saturated and experts warn of the risk of epidemics.
For Victor Colivert, the most important thing is to stay next to the body of his nephew, recovered from the rubble of a building and now in a black body bag.
He is afraid of losing him in the chaos. His family prevented medical examiners from taking the body away.
“If I have to go to China, anywhere, but I don’t leave him alone,” he said. “I’m going with him.”
