Death Toll in Venezuela Earthquake Rises to 1,450 as Rescue Efforts Continue

Four days after the devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela, the death toll has climbed to at least 1,450, with 3,150 injured and over 12,700 people displaced, according to Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly. Rescue teams, supported by local volunteers and international aid workers, are working tirelessly to find survivors amid the rubble. Despite the passage of time, there have been rare moments of hope, including the rescue of a two-week-old baby and a woman trapped for more than three days.

In the city of La Guaira, CNN reporters witnessed a dramatic rescue where civil defense workers and volunteers formed a human chain to carefully extract a living person from collapsed buildings. The survivor was immediately taken for medical treatment. Authorities are hopeful that international assistance will bolster ongoing rescue operations.

The earthquake has exacerbated Venezuela's ongoing humanitarian crisis, which has been marked by economic and political challenges in recent years. The healthcare system is overwhelmed, and UNICEF estimates that approximately 680,000 children require humanitarian aid. Residents in the affected areas compare the scale of destruction to the severe tragedy of 1999, when thousands died or went missing due to floods and mudslides.