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The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, updated this Friday the number of victims from the earthquakes that hit the country. The death toll amounts to 589 and there are 2,980 injured, more than doubling the previous toll of 235 deaths. The number is expected to increase, as thousands of people remain missing.

“Unfortunately, we now have 589 deaths,” Rodríguez declared before military and civilian officials. “We will go to save the trapped people, we work tirelessly on this task,” he added.

La Guaira under military control

The coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas and near the epicenter of both earthquakes, will be militarized. It is the most affected area. At least 100 buildings, including residential skyscrapers, collapsed in the city of the same name.

The authorities have intensified rescue efforts and are committed to recovering the devastated areas. The situation continues to evolve as evaluations progress. The magnitude of the earthquakes has caused a humanitarian crisis, and efforts are being made to provide assistance to those affected.

Freehand rescue in La Guaira

Twenty-seven hours after the earthquake, desperation is growing among the relatives of those still under the rubble. Rescue teams are scarce and lack machinery to move the mountains of concrete. In various parts of the city, the residents themselves dig with their bare hands, together with firefighters and volunteers.

Many of them maintained communication with their trapped loved ones, speaking to them to keep them conscious. As the hours passed, the voices became weaker until they died out forever.

“My wife couldn’t get there. She was bathing when the tremors hit. We tried to escape. I managed to get out of the building, but she fell, hit her head and was trapped. I know she was left naked, I would like to reach her, at least to cover her body,” said a visibly affected man through tears.

Urgent call

The situation is critical. Rescuers urgently need tools, heavy machinery and logistical support to continue their work. Meanwhile, the community organizes as best it can, moving debris with their own hands, in a race against time to find survivors.

UN Evaluation

After the two strong earthquakes that shook Venezuela on Wednesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that up to 6.8 million people could have been affected. According to the UN, approximately two million people reside in the Caracas metropolitan area alone. This is a preliminary evaluation that will be updated as work continues in the affected areas.

The IOM notes that the collapse of buildings and damage to essential infrastructure limits access to basic services. The priority remains the search for survivors in the rubble. UN agencies warn that the number of displaced people will increase as new damage is detected and the hardest hit areas are evacuated.

Government actions and international response

During a press conference, UN agencies reported that around twenty emergency hospitals in the states of La Guaira, Miranda, Aragua, Carabobo, Falcón, Zulia, Yaracuy and Lara, as well as in the Capital District, suffered structural damage.

The government of interim president Delcy Rodríguez requested the United Nations to send three emergency medical teams with surgical capacity. One of them has already left from the United States. Caracas also requested medicines, equipment and medical supplies, which the UN is acquiring and preparing for transfer via Panama or directly to Venezuela.