No fewer than 188 people have lost their lives, while more than 1,500 others sustained injuries after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela in rapid succession, leaving a trail of destruction across the country's northern region and triggering a large-scale humanitarian crisis.
Authorities said over 200 people are still trapped beneath collapsed buildings as emergency responders continue intensive search-and-rescue operations in the affected communities.
The twin earthquakes struck late Wednesday, causing extensive damage in the nation's capital, Caracas, and the neighbouring coastal state of La Guaira. According to reports by The New York Times, dozens of buildings collapsed during the disaster.
Government officials disclosed that at least 250 buildings suffered varying degrees of damage, while more than 100 structures were completely destroyed in La Guaira.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez described the incident as a national tragedy, stating that emergency personnel were working around the clock to rescue survivors from the rubble.
The disaster also crippled essential infrastructure, resulting in widespread power outages, damaged water pipelines and major communication disruptions.
Several parts of Caracas remained without electricity on Thursday, while water supply was interrupted across a number of northern states. Authorities also suspended rail and metro services to support rescue efforts, and Simón Bolívar International Airport was shut down after sustaining significant damage. Schools in the affected areas were equally ordered to remain closed for the rest of the week.
Heartbreaking stories have continued to emerge from hospitals and rescue centres. At the Universidad Central de Venezuela clinic in Caracas, relatives of 10-year-old Efraín Lucena confirmed that the boy was rescued from a collapsed building in La Guaira and is currently in stable condition.
According to family members, doctors are evaluating severe injuries to one of his legs and may have to amputate it.
The relatives also revealed that the boy's mother managed to push him through a window to safety before she became trapped beneath the collapsed structure and died. Another member of the family is still missing as rescue operations continue.
Search efforts have been complicated by Venezuela's longstanding infrastructure challenges, including unstable electricity supply, deteriorating public services and limited healthcare facilities.
Residents in some of the worst-hit communities said they were forced to dig through the rubble themselves in search of survivors because emergency response was initially limited.
Families and neighbours have also joined rescue workers in several locations as they continue searching for loved ones trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
Experts explained that the devastation was worsened because the two earthquakes occurred within a short period and struck an area with geological conditions that intensified ground shaking.
The United States Geological Survey noted that many buildings in the affected region were constructed with materials highly susceptible to earthquake damage, increasing the likelihood of structural collapse and contributing to the high casualty figures.
Among the areas worst affected were densely populated parts of Caracas and La Guaira, where residential apartments, commercial buildings and homes were reduced to rubble.
Authorities also expressed concern over informal hillside settlements, warning that such structures are particularly vulnerable to seismic activity.
Meanwhile, international assistance is beginning to arrive, with Venezuela announcing that rescue teams and humanitarian aid are expected from several countries, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Qatar.
DIP CONNECTS Online News reports that the death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers gain access to more severely affected areas and continue searching for people still trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
ADEOLA KUNLE
No comments:
Post a Comment