Despite four days having passed since the double earthquake struck Venezuela, search and rescue teams achieved a miraculous rescue. Teams from the US and France pulled a father and his son alive from the rubble in the coastal town of Caraballeda, north of the capital Caracas.
According to AFP correspondents, the young man, covered in dust and blood, was first placed on a stretcher; his right knee and hand were bandaged. Then his father, wearing only a piece of cloth, was pulled from the rubble. A medical tube was seen inserted into the elderly man's body.
Authorities announced that the death toll from the earthquakes is approaching 1,500, with 774 buildings damaged and 189 completely collapsed. The United Nations (UN) estimates the number of missing at 50,000, while local authorities report that hundreds of people are still missing.
Experts say the chances of finding survivors are diminishing as time passes after the two major earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5.
International aid mobilization
Numerous foreign rescue teams have flocked to the state of La Guaira, which suffered the greatest destruction. Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced that 24 countries have responded to the call for aid.
The international community has so far sent 521 tons of supplies; 86 expert teams, more than 2,741 search and rescue personnel, and police dogs are participating in the efforts. As of last Saturday, more than 1,600 rescue workers had arrived in the region on 17 aircraft.
The material damage caused by the earthquakes is estimated to have reached $7 billion, equivalent to 6% of the country's gross domestic product.
Economic crisis and aftershocks
The disaster is unfolding against the backdrop of Venezuela's long-standing deep economic crisis. According to UN estimates, approximately 7 million people have been directly affected by more than 300 aftershocks.
