The United States military is working to reopen a major port in Venezuela as the death toll from last week’s devastating twin earthquakes has risen above 1,700, with tens of thousands of people still reported missing.
According to AFP, cited by Channels Television, US Marines are repairing the heavily damaged port in La Guaira to speed up the delivery of humanitarian aid, while American airmen have helped partially restore operations at Simon Bolivar International Airport near Caracas.
Five days after the powerful 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck the coastal state of La Guaira, hopes of finding more survivors are fading as the critical 72-hour rescue window has passed.
At a temporary morgue in La Guaira, hundreds of bodies remain in coffins and body bags awaiting identification as grieving families search for missing relatives.
“There were 11 people in my household. Only two of us survived because we were at work,” survivor Wilker Molalla told AFP.
Despite the grim outlook, rescuers have recorded a handful of remarkable survivals. A 21-year-old identified as Aaron Levi was pulled alive from rubble in Tanaguarena, while rescuers also investigated reports from a woman who claimed she was still trapped beneath a collapsed apartment building in Caraballeda.
The United States has doubled its disaster assistance from $150 million to $300 million as international relief efforts continue. Since January, Washington has been the main international backer of Venezuela’s interim government following the removal of former president Nicolas Maduro.
Authorities said 24 countries have sent 521 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, along with more than 2,700 search-and-rescue personnel and 86 specialist canine units.
Officials reported that 3,150 people have been injured, while 774 buildings suffered severe damage, including 189 that completely collapsed.
Public frustration has continued to grow over what many residents describe as a slow emergency response. In some affected communities, locals urged soldiers to join rescue operations, while looting has been reported in parts of La Guaira amid shortages of food, medicine and other essentials.
The UN migration agency estimates that as many as 6.76 million people could require emergency shelter, healthcare, clean water, sanitation and other humanitarian assistance following one of the worst earthquake disasters in Venezuela’s history.
