Rescuers race against time as aftershocks hamper hunt

Caracas: Rescuers struggled to reach Venezuela’s quake-hit northern coast on Sunday as hundreds of aftershocks, damaged infrastructure and traffic congestion slowed operations, over three days after twin quakes devastated the region.

With the critical 72-hour window for finding survivors rapidly closing, emergency workers continued searching collapsed buildings in La Guaira, the worst-hit state, even as hopes of finding people alive faded.

The death toll has risen to 1,430, with thousands injured, Jorge Rodríguez, leader of National Assembly, said. Officials said over 430 aftershocks have hit since Wednes­day, forcing many residents to sleep outdoors for fear of further building collapses.

Authorities restricted acce­ss to La Guaira after heavy traffic caused by volunteers and aid convoys clogged the only highway into the disaster zone, delaying ambulances and rescue crews. 

As per the US Geological Survey, two more aftershocks measuring 4.5 and 4.3 magnitude struck northern Vene­zuela on Sunday morning.

The United Nations estimates 125 buildings have collapsed, while the Unicef said that about 1.8 million people, including 6,80,000 children, require humanitarian assistance. Hospitals across the affected region remain overwhelmed as rescue teams continue the search amid deteriorating conditions.

FOOTBALLER’S wife and children PERISH 

Argentine defender Lucas Trejo's wife and two children have died after twin tremors hit the Yaracuy region, top-flight club Deportivo La Guaira confirmed. Yanina Maranella and the couple’s children Aaron and Ainhoa had been reported missing after their apartment building collapsed before rescuers confirmed their deaths.

Trejo was in Caracas with his club Maritimo, preparing for a match when the disaster struck. The family had been in Playa Grande, one of the worst-hit coastal areas.

2 BOYS PULLED ALIVE

Two 11-year-old boys have separately been rescued from the rubble of collapsed buildings within hours of each other.

Video footage of the first boy, Moises, showed him being pulled from the twisted debris - his eyes covered to protect them from the sun - to the applause of rescuers.

Hours later, interim President Delcy Rodríquez announced another 11-year-old boy had been rescued.

Moises was buried under 3m (9.8ft) of debris, and the rescuers spent six hours conducting “high-precision wo­rk” on Saturday to reach him.

After 85 hours since the first quake, rescuers have not been giving up on hope, saying people could still be alive.

Some said they could hear people under the rubble, but cannot move the heavy slabs of concrete, and are waiting anxiously for heavy machin­ery to arrive, BBC reported.

Thousands have been living in cars or camps at places like the airport and golf course, away from the collap­sed buil­dings. 

—FPJ WORLD DESK