Venezuela earthquakes toll rises to 920 – Official

The death toll from two powerful earthquakes that devastated Venezuela earlier this week rose to 920 on Friday, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said.

The South American country is reeling from the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes that hit the country’s north within less than a minute of each other on Wednesday.

In a televised address, Rodriguez updated the death toll that had previously been at 589.

He also announced a military deployment to one of the worst-hit regions, the state of La Guaira.

More than 50,000 people were missing following the disaster, United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher told AFP on Friday.

“We’ve got over 50,000 people missing, over 500 people dead, so a massive job to go through the rubble,” he said.

Families searched desperately for loved ones trapped under debris, with some of them using their hands to claw at the rubble of buildings.

At one flattened building in La Guaira, AFP saw workers using sledgehammers to break debris and calling for “absolute silence” to detect cries from trapped survivors.

Countries around the world have pledged humanitarian aid and rescue support to Venezuela.

The United States said it was deploying two warships, transport planes and helicopters and mobilizing $150 million in aid. Washington has also suspended economic sanctions on Venezuela that could have hindered rescue operations.

AFP

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