Thousands remain missing as search for survivors continues
Venezuelans are continuing to search for survivors beneath the rubble of buildings levelled by a pair of powerful earthquakes that hit the country Wednesday.
At least 235 people have died as a result of the earthquakes, the country’s health minister Carlos Alvardo said in an interview with state television Thursday. Earlier in the day, officials said more than 1,500 have been reported injured while another 200 are known to be trapped.
But the death toll is expected to rise as many more remain missing. One website set up to help Venezuelans find missing loved ones says it has now received tens of thousands of reports about people who haven’t been heard from.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has forecast with a 91 per cent likelihood the death toll will exceed 1,000, but said it could be higher. That forecast is based on the population exposed to the strongest effects of the earthquakes, and how vulnerable their dwellings are.
Compounding the crisis is a shortage of resources. One activist who was out in some of the worst-affected areas of Caracas said he could hear people screaming from under the rubble, but first responders didn’t have the heavy equipment needed to save them.
The Canadian government is pledging an initial $5 million in humanitarian aid to support emergency relief efforts in Venezuela.
The money will support “trusted and experienced partners” on the ground providing emergency assistance in the country, such as health and sanitation services, as well as protection and logistics services.
“We are seeing schools, hospitals, infrastructure being completely levelled, leaving people without food, shelter and the basic necessities of life. We wanted to just, 12 hours after coming into the knowledge of this devastating set of earthquakes, provide initial humanitarian aid that will be delivered by trusted organizations on the ground,” Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told CBC News.
Meanwhile, in Canada, some in the Venezuelan community continue to anxiously await news of loved ones back home.