The death toll from the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela has climbed to 1,430 as rescuers battle against time to find survivors before the critical 72-hour window closes.
A further 3,238 people are injured and 3,142 have been left homeless by the disaster, according to top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez, who announced the latest figures on state television.
Rodriguez the brother of acting president Delcy Rodriguez, described the catastrophe as “the most disastrous event this republic has suffered in the last 123 years”.
The twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5. Hitting less than a minute apart, the second tremor was the strongest to rock the country in more than a century.
More than 50,000 people have been declared missing, while the US Geological Survey estimates the disaster could claim as many as 10,000 lives.
View 3 ImagesTwo powerful earthquakes struck the country on Wednesday(Image: Va-Tf1/usa-01/UPI/Shutterstock)
Over 250 buildings collapsed after the powerful “doublet” – two quakes striking one after the other – hit within 39 seconds, trapping thousands beneath mountains of rubble.
Emergency crews continue searching desperately for signs of life. One family told BBC Mundo they heard their relative “groan” beneath the debris as they cling to hope he is still alive.
Among the remarkable survival stories is a 18-day old baby rescued from the rubble in La Guaira, while another baby was born beneath the collapsed remains of a building.
Footage showed a woman lying on a plank in the darkness as another woman delivered the crying baby before wrapping the infant in blankets as bystanders comforted the exhausted mother.
The epicentre of the initial quake was in the state of Yaracuy, where the immediate impact was reduced by the rocky terrain. Seismic waves then travelled towards the coastal city of La Guaira, where entire streets were destroyed.
View 3 ImagesPeople queue for donated food and drinks in La Guaira(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The US and Spanish military teams have been deployed to aid the rescue efforts. The US has pledged $150m (£110m) in aid and sent two warships, aircraft and helicopters to support the response.
“The US stands ready, willing, and able to help,” Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Wednesday. The US president said he had instructed all government agencies to prepare to “move quickly,” calling Venezuela’s people the “new and great friends.”
The US Treasury Department also temporarily lifted sanctions to allow Venezuela’s government to carry out financial transactions linked to earthquake relief efforts.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla shared a message of support to the people of Venezuela, offering their “most heartfelt condolences to all those affected by this terrible tragedy”.
They said they were “deeply saddened” by the earthquakes and “of the tragic loss of life and suffering they have caused”.