The increasingly desperate search for earthquake survivors in Venezuela entered its third day as people dug through the rubble of collapsed homes and apartment buildings.
The clock is ticking to rescue survivors after Venezuela was hit by two earthquakes, with more than a thousand dead and more than 60,000 missing.
Amid an increasingly desperate search, people searched through the rubble days after the disaster. It came after earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, just seconds apart, struck on Wednesday night.
Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours crucial to saving people. The death toll stood at least 1,430 dead and at least 68,900 missing as of Saturday night.
International rescue teams joined locals searching for their loved ones with their bare hands on toppled concrete mounds in La Guaira, one of the most affected states.
‘Every person saved is a miracle’
Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, said: “Every person saved is a miracle.” He added: “We are not going to hide absolutely anything about the magnitude of this tragedy.”
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described Saturday as a “crucial day” for search and rescue. He said: “We kept going, minute by minute, hour by hour, by the sound of survivors under the rubble.
“We can’t stop for a second while we hear them, but the worst thing is when those voices fall silent. And we are determined to save as many lives as we can now that we have 39 search and rescue teams, which are already deployed.”
Newborn baby rescued from rubble
Fletcher added: “It’s always the first 72 hours after an earthquake. And remember, my team on the ground many of them have loved ones under the rubble. Many of them have lost their own homes. Our buildings and offices have also been ruined beyond use.”
In a dramatic scene, footage showed a newborn baby being rescued from the rubble on Friday. The mother was reportedly pulled alive from the rubble later.
Meanwhile, in Catia La Mar, north of Caracas, Ezequiel Frontado observed a dozen bodies lying in the street on Saturday.
They were covered with blankets that neighbors and rescuers had recovered from the rubble of nearby collapsed buildings. He was searching to see if any of them were his missing relative.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez said more than 14,000 members of the military and police were patrolling the area, where access is now blocked and special permits are required to enter.
