Venezuela earthquakes latest: Death toll climbs as rescuers continue searching
Nearly 50,000 people remain unaccounted for in the wake of Venezuela's powerful earthquakes as the death toll continues to climb, officials said.
At least 2,595 people have died and another 12,400 were injured from the pair of earthquakes that struck on June 24, acting President Delcy Rodriguez said Thursday, adding that search and rescue efforts were still continuing.
The country has experienced more than 862 aftershocks, she said.
Earlier this week, Venezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said 26,403 people have been impacted, including those who lost homes or saw serious damage to their homes.
The powerful pair of quakes last week knocked down buildings, reducing some blocks to rubble, and trapping some people for days.
More than a week later, rescue efforts are ongoing and there have been miraculous stories of survival.
On Thursday, a married father of two, who was trapped under a destroyed shopping mall, was pulled from the rubble after a 120-hour rescue operation. Video showed rescuers pulling him out and carrying away on a stretcher as onlookers applauded.
On Friday, two days after the quakes, Dayana Patiño and her 18-day-old son Juan David were pulled from the rubble of their collapsed apartment building, after being trapped there for more than 30 hours. Rescuers were able to get water to the infant by sliding a straw through a pipe amid the rubble, Patiño said.
The International Rescue Committee said children are among the nearly 50,000 people still missing and searchers are combing through the rubble with bare hands trying to find survivors.
The IRC also noted that Venezuela's water system has failed in some areas, leaving many survivors without guaranteed access to safe drinking water.
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