Lead

Rescue teams in Venezuela are racing against time to find survivors more than four days after twin earthquakes struck the country's north coast, as the official death toll climbed to at least 1,450 and hopes of finding more people alive faded. The back-to-back quakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck on Wednesday evening, flattening buildings and leaving tens of thousands unaccounted for.

Coverage comparison

Reports from multiple outlets paint a consistent picture of the disaster's scale, though the death toll has been reported differently across sources. The Guardian and Deutsche Welle both reported the death toll at 1,450 as of Sunday, citing National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez. Dawn, in a later report, put the toll at 1,719, while ABC Australia reported at least 2,295 deaths. The discrepancies reflect the rapidly evolving situation and the challenges of counting casualties in the affected areas.

Injuries and displacement figures also vary. The Guardian reported 3,150 injured and 12,721 displaced, while Dawn cited 5,034 injured and tens of thousands missing. ABC Australia reported around 11,000 injured and nearly 50,000 unaccounted for. The Guardian also reported that at least 68,900 people have been reported unaccounted for by their families, while a website promoted by the opposition lists around 50,000 still missing, as noted by Deutsche Welle.

Key claims

  • The death toll from the earthquakes has risen to at least 1,450 people, as reported by The Guardian, Deutsche Welle, and Dawn (in one of its reports). Dawn later reported 1,719 deaths, and ABC Australia reported 2,295.
  • At least 3,150 people were injured, according to The Guardian, while Dawn reported 5,034 injured.
  • 12,721 people were displaced, as reported by The Guardian.
  • Power has been restored to La Guaira, a port city near the country's main international airport, according to interim president Delcy Rodríguez, as reported by The Guardian.
  • At least 68,900 people have been reported unaccounted for by their families, as reported by The Guardian.
  • The EU has announced 5 million euros in emergency aid to Venezuela, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
  • China has donated 100 million yuan in emergency supplies, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
  • At least 774 buildings were badly damaged, including 189 that totally collapsed, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, as reported by The Guardian and Dawn.
  • A man and his teenage son were found alive under the rubble in Caraballeda, a town about 40 kilometers north of Caracas, by French and American rescue teams, as reported by The Guardian and Dawn.

Perspectives

Government officials: Interim president Delcy Rodríguez expressed hope about rescue operations, saying, "We have recovered people alive and, therefore, operations are not being suspended. We always maintain hope." National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez warned that "we are in critical hours, in crucial hours to continue rescuing lives and to build camps where those people who have lost their homes... can stay."

Rescue workers and survivors: Rescue team members and survivors described the harrowing conditions. Luis Salas, a 27-year-old volunteer rescuer, told AFP that "the hardest part was when we felt hope in the tunnels we went into — crawling, clearing debris, working with all our heart, with great faith — and when we reached our targets, we found them lifeless." Josmer Becerra, a 21-year-old survivor, recounted digging with his bare hands to free his girlfriend from the rubble. Gabriel González, a construction worker who lost his home and is still searching for his son, criticized the government's response, saying, "We don't have a government."

International aid organizations: The EU and China have pledged emergency aid, as reported by Deutsche Welle. The EU announced 5 million euros in emergency aid, and China donated 100 million yuan in emergency supplies. The UN migration agency estimated that up to 6.76 million people could be affected, and the earthquakes may have caused $6.7 billion in physical damage, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's GDP, as reported by Deutsche Welle.