Window for rescuing survivors narrows on third day after Venezuela quakes

The situation grows more desperate by the hour in Venezuela as people dig through the rubble three days after two devastating 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes, knowing time is running out to find survivors.

Authorities announced on Friday night that they would block access to La Guaira, the epicentre of the destruction, as chaos and traffic began to hamper search efforts.

Officials said anyone who wants to enter would now have to seek official permits, but provided few details of who would be allowed in.

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Venezuelans took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands, citing a scarcity of government rescuers, as the human toll of Wednesday’s quakes climbed to at least 920 dead and more than 51,000 missing.

People reported seeing few state rescue teams in the hardest-hit areas, despite authorities projecting an image of a robust government response.

Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours to be a crucial time frame to retrieve people alive, though that can be extended if they have access to food and water.

“Each person saved is a miracle,” said Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly.

“We are not going to hide absolutely anything about the magnitude of this tragedy.”

Government forces distributed food and water to survivors in La Guaira, and acting president Delcy Rodríguez said her government was mounting a full response during these “critical hours for rescuing people alive”.

She welcomed the arrival of international rescuers and humanitarian aid. She said La Guaira had been militarised and more help was on the way, even as residents said it was just a fraction of what they needed.

The disaster poses a huge challenge for Ms Rodríguez, the former vice president who took office in January after the capture and removal of then-President Nicolás Maduro by the United States. Venezuela has been facing economic disarray for more than a decade, and many people reject the legitimacy of the political movement Rodríguez represents.

The number of dead was expected to climb, and people reported tens of thousands of missing on independent digital databases. Those figures likely included people who have been incommunicado due to the lack of phone signals, and some reports may be duplicates.

The number of injured was more than 3,300 as of midday Friday, and authorities said they rescued 243.

The International Organisation for Migration said up to 6.76 million people could be affected, some two million of them in Caracas alone. The destruction was amplified by the quick succession of shallow quakes, experts said.

Loyce Pace, the International Red Cross’ regional director for the Americas, said “people are still terrified to re-enter what were their homes”.

Venezuelan authorities said 861 volunteers from Mexico, the US, El Salvador, Switzerland, Colombia and beyond were in the country, and more were coming from elsewhere.

Acting president Ms Rodríguez said she spoke to US president Donald Trump and US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Friday and they reaffirmed their commitment to send rescue teams and aid equipment.