Hope fades as Venezuela quake toll reaches 1,450

CARACAS: Rescue workers pulled a man and his teenage son alive from the rubble in Venezuela on Sunday, four days after twin earthquakes struck the country, even as the death toll rose to 1,450 and the window for finding more survivors narrowed.

AFP journalists saw French and American rescue teams bring the pair down from a mound of debris on stretchers in the badly damaged coastal town of Caraballeda, around 40 kilometres north of Caracas. Both appeared exhausted and in shock. Tens of thousands of people were still reported missing, while millions more were feared to be without sanitation and other basic necessities after one of Latin America's most destructive earthquake disasters.

Rescue operations continued with teams from the United States, Mexico and other countries working alongside residents who were digging through flattened buildings and rubble by hand to reach trapped relatives. National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said on Sunday that 774 buildings had been severely damaged in the back-to-back quakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 that hit on Wednesday evening, including 189 that had completely collapsed.

In La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas, residents continued searching for family members. Hector Aguilera said he was trying to recover four relatives from the debris after two other family members were rescued.

He said rescuers had not provided enough help to remove his relatives from the site. "We don't have the support to get our family out — we can't do it alone. They are buried there: we know they are dead, but here we are."

"We have no hope left; all I have are memories," Aguilera added.

Searches continue after critical 72-hour window

Experts say the first 72 hours after a natural disaster are usually the most important for finding survivors, and that period has now passed in Venezuela. In Caracas's San Bernardino neighbourhood, volunteer rescuers climbed over a collapsed building, using drills to break concrete and carrying away rubble by hand. In Chacao, screens normally used for advertising displayed photographs of missing people in an effort to assist the search.

Jorge Rodriguez said 3,150 people had been injured and warned that the death toll was expected to increase. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said on Saturday that 33 people had been pulled alive from the ruins. She also said an 11-year-old boy was rescued on Saturday in Caraballeda, north of Caracas, and wrote in a post on X: "Every life is a source of hope for Venezuela."

US helicopters were bringing in aid, though hopes of finding more survivors were diminishing. A Salvadoran rescue worker who declined to give his name described the situation bluntly. "At this point, they are probably dead bodies. Thanks to God maybe we can find people still alive," he said.

Foreign aid arrives as humanitarian needs grow

Delcy Rodriguez, facing public anger over the response by local officials, thanked other countries for sending assistance. She said 24 nations had delivered 521 tons of supplies, 86 canine units trained to detect people trapped under debris, and more than 2,700 search-and-rescue personnel.

The United States said on Saturday that one runway at Simon Bolivar International Airport serving the capital was partially operational for incoming US military aircraft, while a naval vessel had reached the coast. Washington has also deployed a disaster response team of 250 people.

The UN migration agency said that, based on population and damage estimates, as many as 6.76 million people could be affected and would need shelter, water, sanitation, healthcare and other relief supplies.

Economic strain deepens after disaster

The earthquakes, the worst in Venezuela in more than a century, struck after the oil-producing country had already endured over a decade of economic collapse. The crisis had weakened hospitals and public services and driven millions to leave the country. The United Nations estimated physical damage from Wednesday's earthquakes at $6.7 billion, equal to 6% of Venezuela's GDP.

The government had restricted access to La Guaira state, deployed the military there and required volunteers to obtain a safe-entry pass. That sparked frustration among people waiting outside a concert hall in Caracas to join rescue efforts. Carlos Itriago, 27, criticised the requirement.

"You need a permit to save lives — just imagine."