A man and his teenage son were pulled alive from the rubble in Karabaleda, a coastal town north of Caracas that has been flattened by the disaster.
The survivors were found by French and American rescue teams nearly four days after the successive 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, which completely destroyed nearly 200 buildings in the area.
The death toll stands at 1,450, according to the latest count, while 774 buildings have been damaged, of which 189 have completely collapsed. According to the United Nations, the number of missing is estimated at around 50,000.
This latest bailout offered a breath of fresh air to the country, which in addition to the ongoing tragedy is mired in economic crisis.
“Search and rescue operations are continuing. We have found people alive and therefore operations have not been suspended. We’re still holding out hope,” Acting President Delsey Rodriguez said last night, extending the school closures for a week.
According to her, 33 people were pulled alive from the wreckage over the weekend, including two children.
Due to the earthquakes, thousands of people are living in streets, makeshift tents and temporary shelters, while millions more live in conditions of minimal sanitation.
Looting and rage
Although rescue efforts continue at an intensive pace, there have been incidents of looting in La Guaira, one of the worst-hit areas, near the country’s main international airport. Pharmacies, supermarkets and other businesses were looted, according to residents.
In some areas, indignation is running high among residents, who complain that the authorities have not done enough to rescue the victims of the earthquake. “The country needs you. Put down your weapons and grab pickaxes and shovels,” a man yelled at soldiers in the Tanaguarena district of hard-hit La Guaira state.
“My indignation is due to the fact that a general came with about twenty armed soldiers and sat in a corner. They could have taken someone out, even dead, but they were sitting, calm, in their corner,” explained Alexander Mijares, a trader and volunteer rescuer, 26.
Soldiers began to remove debris after the clashes.
24 countries have sent 521 tons of supplies, 86 teams of dogs specially trained to locate trapped people and more than 2,700 search and rescue personnel.
The value of the damages caused is estimated at 7 billion dollars, an amount equivalent to 6% of the GDP.
At least 28 foreigners or people with dual citizenship are among the victims: seven from China, nine from Spain, two from Brazil, one from Chile, one from Uruguay, as well as one with Venezuelan and Italian citizenship.
Source: AFP, Reuters
