The faces of Venezuela’s missing as 46,000 still unaccounted for after devastating double earthquake
Four days after a powerful double earthquake brought devastation to Venezuela, the urgent search for survivors buried under the rubble continues.
At least 46,000 people are still reported missing after the earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 laid wreaked havoc in northern Venezuela, particularly La Guaira, the hardest hit state. More than 1,450 have been confirmed dead so far but here are fears the final toll will be significantly higher.
A missing persons website has been set up to keep track of reports of Venezuelans not seen since the earthquake. As of Monday afternoon 15,426 have been located but there has been no contact from 46,019 more.
The appeals take in people of all ages and backgrounds, as loved ones hope for news of children as young as two years-old and pensioners in their 80s.
Stories of dozens of people rescued over the weekend have brought hope that there are more survivors to be found by the thousands of workers from Venezuela and the international community.
Footage captured one such miracle moment, when an 18-month-old baby was pulled from the rubble, still alive 32 hours after the destruction.
But rescue efforts were complicated further by a 4.6-magnitude aftershock that hit north of the Venezuelan capital Caracas early on Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
No damage was immediately reported from the aftershock, the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, said.
However it serves as a reminder to the national and international rescue teams who have worked day and night since the initial earthquake that the danger is far from over.
The international community has rallied to help Venezuela in the wake of the disaster. The country has received support from 24 countries, which have sent over 500 metric tons of supplies, more than 2,700 rescue and support personnel and about 86 canine teams, according to Venezuelan authorities.
At least 33 people were rescued over the weekend, but according to specialists, after 72 hours following an earthquake, the odds of finding victims alive beneath the rubble drop dramatically.
The story of the rescue of 21-year-old Aaron Levi has been hailed by national leaders as a sign of the success of international rescue efforts – and the possibility that survivors could remain under the rubble.
“This rescue was made possible thanks to the coordinated efforts of rescue teams from Venezuela, Mexico, and El Salvador,” said Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele, of Levi’s rescue from a collapsed building in La Guaira.
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez also echoed Levi’s story, explaining that he was pulled out after 106 hours trapped under the rubble through a rescue operation that lasted 43 hours.
