Venezuela’s Race Against Time Intensifies as Earthquake Death Toll Mounts and Thousands Remain Missi

By Anietie anii-bassey

The desperate search for survivors continued into a third day on Saturday across Venezuela as rescue workers, volunteers, and grieving families raced against time to locate people trapped beneath the rubble left by two powerful earthquakes that devastated large parts of the country.

The twin earthquakes, measuring magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck within a short period on Wednesday, leaving widespread destruction across several regions and triggering one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history. Entire neighborhoods were reduced to rubble, apartment buildings collapsed without warning, and critical infrastructure suffered extensive damage.

As hopes of finding survivors gradually faded, emergency crews intensified rescue efforts in the hardest-hit communities, particularly in La Guaira state, where collapsed residential buildings buried hundreds of people beneath mountains of broken concrete and twisted steel.

International rescue specialists joined Venezuelan emergency personnel, local volunteers, and residents who continued searching tirelessly using heavy machinery, shovels, ropes, search dogs, and, in many cases, their bare hands.

The first 48 to 72 hours following a major earthquake are widely regarded by disaster response experts as the most critical period for locating survivors, although rescue operations can remain successful beyond that timeframe if trapped victims have access to air, food, or water.

Authorities reported that the death toll had climbed to at least 920 people, while more than 51,000 individuals remained unaccounted for as rescue operations entered their third day. Officials cautioned that both figures were expected to rise as emergency teams reached more isolated communities and continued clearing debris from collapsed structures.

Despite government assurances that large-scale rescue efforts were underway, many residents in the worst-affected neighborhoods said they had seen little official assistance during the crucial first days after the disaster. Instead, much of the rescue work was being carried out by neighbors, relatives, and volunteers determined to save anyone who might still be alive beneath the wreckage.

In Catia La Mar, one of the communities hardest hit by the earthquakes, heartbreaking scenes unfolded as families searched desperately for missing loved ones.

Among them was Ezequiel Frontado, who walked slowly past rows of bodies laid along a street and covered with blankets after being recovered from collapsed buildings nearby. He carefully examined each body, hoping not to find members of his own family among the dead while simultaneously fearing the uncertainty surrounding their disappearance.

Across La Guaira, similar scenes of grief and desperation played out as rescue workers continued digging through unstable ruins while relatives waited anxiously nearby for any sign of life.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said more than 14,000 members of the military and police had been deployed throughout the disaster zone. She stated that authorities had restricted access to the affected areas and required special permits for entry in an effort to improve coordination of rescue operations and maintain public safety.

International assistance also continued arriving on Saturday as rescue teams from several countries landed in Venezuela to support ongoing emergency efforts.

Although Simón Bolívar International Airport suffered significant earthquake damage, officials confirmed that one runway had become operational again, allowing humanitarian flights carrying emergency personnel, equipment, and relief supplies to enter the country.

For thousands of families, however, every passing hour brought growing fear.

Nazareth Jiménez broke down in tears while watching neighbors attempt to cut through massive slabs of concrete with power tools and hammers in hopes of reaching relatives believed to be trapped inside a collapsed residential building.

Several of her siblings, nieces, nephews, and close friends remained buried beneath the debris.

“My God, how are we going to get them out of there?” she cried as rescuers continued working around the clock.

She appealed directly to both Venezuelan authorities and the international community for additional heavy machinery capable of lifting collapsed structures, insisting that people were still alive beneath the rubble and that every minute could mean the difference between life and death.

Government officials said emergency crews were distributing food, clean drinking water, and other essential supplies to survivors while continuing rescue operations throughout La Guaira.

Rodríguez described the current period as the most critical stage of the disaster response, emphasizing that authorities remained focused on locating survivors before shifting attention to long-term recovery efforts.

The catastrophe also presents a significant political challenge for Rodríguez, who assumed office earlier this year following the removal of former President Nicolás Maduro.

Venezuela has endured years of economic instability, deteriorating public services, and political division, factors that many observers believe have complicated the country’s ability to respond effectively to disasters of this scale.

Officials acknowledged that the confirmed death toll would likely continue rising as more collapsed buildings were searched. At the same time, thousands of names continued appearing on independent online databases created by families attempting to locate missing relatives.

Authorities noted that many reported missing individuals could simply be unreachable because telecommunications networks had failed, while duplicate reports may also be inflating the overall number.

As of Friday, more than 3,300 people had been reported injured, while rescue teams had successfully pulled 243 survivors from beneath collapsed buildings.

Humanitarian organizations warned that the full humanitarian impact could extend far beyond the immediate disaster zone.

The International Organization for Migration estimated that approximately 6.76 million people may have been affected by the earthquakes, including nearly two million residents in the capital, Caracas.

Seismologists said the widespread destruction was intensified by the unusual sequence of two powerful shallow earthquakes occurring within a short period, causing buildings already weakened by the first quake to collapse completely during the second.

Aid organizations reported that fear of aftershocks continued to keep many survivors from returning to their damaged homes.

Loyce Pace, regional director for the Americas at the International Red Cross, said many residents remained traumatized and were unwilling to enter buildings that might collapse at any moment.

Across affected communities, thousands spent another night sleeping outdoors in parking lots, public squares, sidewalks, and makeshift shelters constructed from tarps, tents, and hammocks.

For many families, the emotional toll has become almost unbearable.

Omar Reyes said nearly 20 members of his extended family died in the disaster.

“I’ve been left alone in this life,” he said while standing amid the ruins where two of his children remained buried beneath the collapsed remains of their home.

Elsewhere, shortages of essential goods added to the growing humanitarian crisis.

Residents formed long lines outside pharmacies and grocery stores that limited customer access because of structural damage and security concerns. In one emotional scene, a woman threw herself over a package of diapers after obtaining it, fearing it might be taken away amid growing shortages.

Rescue efforts were also hindered by heavy traffic and crowds gathering around disaster sites.

Emergency workers repeatedly requested complete silence so specialized listening equipment could detect voices or sounds coming from beneath collapsed buildings. However, motorcycles and passing vehicles continued generating loud noise, frustrating rescue teams attempting to locate survivors.

As food and household supplies became increasingly scarce, isolated incidents of looting were reported in Catia La Mar. Some residents removed basic necessities such as food, bottled water, and toilet paper from damaged stores, while desperate crowds gathered around vehicles distributing humanitarian aid until security personnel restored order.

Parking lots, schools, and open public spaces quickly transformed into temporary shelters as displaced families sought refuge after losing their homes.

Just a few miles away, 28-year-old Yuleidy Cadenas remained standing across the street from a collapsed government housing complex, refusing to leave despite growing exhaustion.

Her young son, mother, and brother were believed to be trapped inside after the building pancaked during the earthquakes.

She recalled escaping barefoot from another collapsing building before rushing to her mother’s apartment tower, only to discover that it had been completely flattened.

“I climbed onto the rubble and begged them to answer me,” she said through tears. “Nobody responded—not my brother, not my son, not my mother.”

As rescue operations continue, thousands of Venezuelan families remain caught between hope and heartbreak, waiting for news of loved ones while emergency crews work relentlessly against time in what has become one of the country’s most devastating natural disasters.