Rescuers race against time to find Venezuela survivors

Death toll from massive earthquakes reaches 1,450 yesterday

- AGENCY REPORTERS

Local and international rescue teams raced against the clock to pull survivors from the rubble in Venezuela yesterday, four days after two powerful earthquakes shook the northern state of La Guaira.

The government reported 1,450 dead from the quakes yesterday afternoon as it faced growing criticism from Venezuelans that its response was inadequate and overshadowed by civilian-led efforts to rescue people buried under collapsed buildings.

Thousands have been reported missing, according to multiple databases used by families searching for loved ones.

Even as the likelihood of finding people alive diminished with each passing hour, rescuers continued to free some survivors from mountains of debris, offering anguished families a sliver of hope. The first 48 to 72 hours after a natural disaster are crucial to rescue efforts, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water.

More than 2,600 rescue workers from around the world had arrived by yesterday, the government said, noting that crews were being supported in their efforts by nearly 140 specially trained dogs.

“It’s been incredibly hard work, but we’re going strong,” said Jason Mercano, a civilian who was able to communicate with family buried under the rubble via social media.

“We’ve never given up hope,” he added.

Masses of people gathered to watch as rescue crews from the US and France pulled a man and his son from the ruins yesterday morning and carried them carefully on a black tarp into an ambulance.