Venezuela Death Toll Hits 235 as Rescue Missions Intensify Following Devastating Earthquakes

Rescue teams and local residents continued their desperate search for survivors beneath collapsed structures on Thursday after two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela. Officials report that the disasters have claimed approximately 235 lives and left more than 4,300 people injured.

Health Minister Carlos Alvarado told state-run media on Thursday, “Unfortunately, we have received around 235 patients who arrived without vital signs or passed away upon arrival at our health facilities.”

Casualty figures are expected to climb as thousands remain missing. The 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude tremors, which struck Wednesday evening, represent some of the strongest seismic activity the country has experienced in over a century, with tremors felt throughout the region and causing evacuations as far away as the Brazilian Amazon.

In a response to the crisis, the US Treasury announced on Thursday a temporary waiver of certain sanctions until October 23. This move is intended to facilitate humanitarian transactions and relief efforts that would otherwise be prohibited under current restrictions.

In northern Venezuelan cities, panicked residents have flooded the streets, manually digging through debris to find loved ones. Images broadcast by state-run television captured the desperation of the scene, including the rescue of a woman trapped under a concrete slab who was pulled out alive.

However, affected residents have criticized the government for a slow and insufficient deployment of resources. In the capital, Dayana Delgado, a mother of three, questioned the whereabouts of the heavy machinery promised by officials, noting that neighbors were forced to conduct the search and rescue operations themselves. Delgado is still searching for her 8-year-old son.

The coastal region of La Guaira, located north of Caracas, has suffered some of the most severe damage. The closure of the country’s primary airport due to structural damage has significantly complicated the delivery of international aid.

Global offers of assistance have poured in, including from the United States, which had captured former President Nicolas Maduro in a military operation earlier this year. This catastrophe is the latest crisis facing acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed office in January following Maduro’s removal.

The disaster strikes a nation already grappling with over a decade of economic collapse and widespread political instability, with many citizens questioning the legitimacy of Rodríguez’s administration.

Authorities stated they are redirecting rescue teams from across the country toward La Guaira, a region historically prone to disasters, including a catastrophic 1999 mudslide that killed thousands. On Thursday, President Rodríguez appealed to private businesses to provide heavy construction equipment to assist in the operations.

“We hope to rescue as many living people as possible,” Rodríguez stated, describing La Guaira as a “disaster zone.”

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