The death toll from the pair of powerful earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday evening has climbed to 235, with approximately 4,300 people injured, according to officials. The number of casualties is expected to rise as thousands remain missing following the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes, among the strongest to hit the country in over a century.
Health Minister Confirms Casualties
Health Minister Carlos Alvarado told state media on Thursday, "Unfortunately we have received around 235 patients who arrived without vital signs or died when they arrived at our health facilities." The earthquakes, felt throughout the region, caused widespread devastation, with buildings evacuated as far away as Brazil's Amazon.
US Waives Sanctions to Aid Relief
In response to the disaster, the US Treasury on Thursday moved to waive certain sanctions until October 23, allowing transactions related to earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela that would otherwise be prohibited. This comes after the US seized former President Nicolas Maduro earlier this year in a surprise military operation.
Desperate Search for Survivors
In cities across northern Venezuela, panicked residents poured into the streets, searching for the missing amid the debris. The injured, including children and animals, were pulled from the rubble covered in dust and blood. State TV showed dramatic rescues, such as a woman trapped under a cement slab, with only a bare foot visible, before crews managed to free her alive. However, few government search teams were seen outside the capital, Caracas.
Dayana Delgado, mother of three, asked where the heavy machinery promised by officials was, noting that neighbors were the ones digging through the rubble. "I want to know where my child is, if he's trapped or in a shelter," she said of her missing eight-year-old son.
La Guaira Suffers Worst Damage
The coastal region of La Guaira, north of Caracas, suffered some of the heaviest damage and casualties. The country's main airport there was closed due to damage, complicating aid efforts. Retired schoolteacher Juan Alberto Mendano climbed through wreckage in La Guaira, past a dead body, when he spotted a woman trapped and signaling for help. "May God rescue her as quickly as possible," said Mendano. "When we heard the scream, there was nothing we could do."
International Aid and Political Context
Offers to send aid and supplies poured in from around the world, including from the United States. The natural disaster is the latest challenge for acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who took office in January after Maduro's capture. Venezuela has been facing economic disarray for over a decade, and many reject the legitimacy of Rodriguez's political movement.
