Venezuela Twin Earthquake Death Toll Jumps to 589

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The death toll from twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela late Wednesday has risen to 589, interim President Delcy Rodríguez said on Friday, as rescue teams continued searching for survivors trapped under collapsed buildings, DW reported.

The number of injured has reached 2,980, Rodríguez said during a televised meeting with government and military officials, revising an earlier toll of 235 deaths.

“Regrettably, we now have 589 people who died,” she said, as quoted by CNA.

“We are going to rescue the people who are trapped. We are working tirelessly on this task.”

The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck about 160 kilometers west of Caracas, causing widespread destruction across multiple regions.

According to NPR, Rodríguez also met with the army’s general staff to coordinate emergency operations in La Guaira, one of the worst-hit coastal areas north of the capital. State security forces, supported by heavy machinery, have been deployed to clear rubble and assist search-and-rescue operations.

She declared a nationwide state of emergency and urged medical personnel to report for duty as hospitals struggled with rising casualties.

“We need all doctors and nurses to report to their places of work. We must take care of everyone who is arriving at emergency rooms,” she said in a televised address.

Authorities have also closed the country’s main airport after structural damage was detected in the terminal roof. Schools will remain closed for the rest of the week, and residents have been urged to avoid buildings that may have been weakened by the quakes.

Rodríguez said La Guaira was among the hardest-hit areas, with security forces also assisting in distributing food and water.

Rescue teams worked through the night to recover people trapped in rubble and locate those still missing. A website tracking missing people, shared by opposition figures, listed around 49,500 people as unaccounted for.

The US Geological Survey had earlier warned that fatalities could exceed 10,000 based on seismic impact estimates.

Read: Venezuela Twin Earthquakes: Death Toll at 235 with 4,300 Injured

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