Venezuela earthquake toll passes 1,400 as baby and boy pulled alive from rubble three days on
Rescuers have pulled an 11-year-old boy and an 18-day-old baby alive from collapsed buildings more than 72 hours after twin earthquakes struck northern Venezuela, as the confirmed death toll reached 1,430 and over 50,000 people remain unaccounted for.
Survivors found against the odds
A boy of 11 was pulled alive from rubble in Caraballeda, north of Caracas, early Saturday, three days after two powerful tremors flattened entire districts. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez posted a video of the operation, writing that "every life is a source of hope for Venezuela."
In La Guaira, a coastal state hit hardest by the quakes, an 18-day-old newborn was rescued 32 hours after the collapse. Video shared by witness Andreina Quintero showed volunteers passing the baby, wrapped in a blanket, through a chain of hands. Medics who treated the infant believe the mother shielded the child with her own body during the building’s fall; she was pulled out about an hour later.
Toll climbs and anger grows
The confirmed death count rose to 1,430 on Saturday, according to Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, with more than 50,000 listed as missing on an informal online platform. The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes on Wednesday were followed by 430 aftershocks, leaving many high-rises in upscale eastern Caracas districts such as Los Palos Grandes and Altamira pancaked.
Fury at the official response boiled over when Delcy Rodriguez visited the Chacao neighbourhood on Friday and was met with jeers. "The government does nothing for the people," residents shouted, demanding heavy equipment that has yet to arrive. Antonio Bermudez, 45, told AFP that he could hear a woman named Jennifer responding from the 11th floor of a collapsed building but had no tools to reach her. "We have no way to help her."
Race against time
Rescuers describe an operation of extreme complexity. An Salvadoran team member working in La Guaira noted that victims are usually already dead, but sometimes a survivor emerges. Dani Rizo, a neighbour, spent hours trying to free nine-year-old Dana, whose cries were audible before she died. The lack of generators, metal saws and excavators has forced families to dig with picks and sledgehammers, or bare hands.
Electricity and mobile networks remain patchy, cutting many families off from news of relatives. Authorities still restrict civilian access on the main road from Caracas to La Guaira, saying traffic delays emergency vehicles.
- Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 strike northern Venezuela, triggering hundreds of aftershocks.
- An 18-day-old baby is rescued alive from rubble in La Guaira after being trapped for 32 hours; the mother is later pulled out.
- Death toll reaches 1,430 with over 50,000 missing; interim President Delcy Rodriguez is booed while visiting damaged areas; EU activates Civil Protection Mechanism.
- An 11-year-old boy is rescued alive in Caraballeda; international aid flights from Italy, France, Spain and the UK arrive; more than 1,600 foreign rescuers are deployed.
International aid pours in
The European Union activated its Civil Protection Mechanism, deploying 520 rescuers from eight member states – including Czechia, Spain, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands. The Copernicus satellite service provides free emergency mapping to guide the response. A first Italian Air Force plane landed in Caracas on Saturday with teams of doctors, search experts and firefighters; Rome earmarked an initial five million euros for the Red Cross, Caritas and the World Food Programme. French search-and-rescue units and Spanish military emergency personnel have also arrived, with the UK Royal Air Force joining the effort. Overall, more than 1,600 foreign rescuers are on the ground.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the number of missing will almost certainly rise substantially, describing the operation as extremely challenging. The United States has begun sending aid flights, and Delcy Rodriguez – who has led the interim government since January after former leader Nicolás Maduro was arrested by the US military – thanked the international community.
