The death toll from the earthquakes that hit Venezuela last Wednesday (24) rose to 1,450. On Saturday (27), the number was 1,430. The update was made, this Sunday (28), by the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez. 3,150 treatments were provided to injured people.
Rodríguez presented an update on efforts to save lives and assist affected communities. It reported that 2,501 infrastructure projects were impacted, including 784 buildings, 38 hospitals and 43 shopping centers.
There were 12,721 people affected by earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter Scale. The biggest shock ever recorded reached 9.5, in Chile. According to the president of the assembly, 73,937 families received assistance. More than 7 thousand tons of food and more than 20 thousand basic food baskets were distributed.
Jorge Rodríguez thanked the more than 2,600 rescuers, of different nationalities, and 137 canine units involved in the rescue efforts during these critical hours, together with Venezuelan technicians and employees.
Race against time
On the fourth day after the tremors, the chances of finding survivors beneath the rubble diminish with each passing hour. UN humanitarian aid chief Tom Fletcher told AFP in Geneva that the whereabouts of more than 50 thousand people are unknown.
“This is an extremely complex rescue operation,” he told the international agency. An unofficial list of missing people circulating on social media includes the names of more than 52,000 people.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), an agency of the United Nations (UN), estimates that up to 6.76 million people may have been affected by the earthquakes. The projection includes around 2 million residents of Caracas and considers population analyzes and damage caused by the tremors.
Brazilian aid
This Sunday (28), the fourth humanitarian flight from Brazil leaves towards Venezuela. The aircraft is carrying 35 military firefighters from the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. Firefighters from both states will reinforce teams already working in La Guaira, Venezuela.
The Brazilian humanitarian mission began this Saturday (27), shortly after arriving in Venezuela. The teams operate mainly in the municipality of Vargas, in the state of La Guaira, one of the hardest hit. According to the Brazilian government, despite the logistical difficulties of the operation, the team rescued at least two people alive.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
