The death toll following powerful earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to at least 164 people, with 971 people confirmed injured, said acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez in an update early on Thursday.
The death toll is likely to rise and is feared to be much higher, given the number of collapsed and damaged buildings, as authorities are carrying out search and rescue operations. At least 30 aftershocks have occurred since the main two earthquakes, Rodríguez said.
In an interview with Venezuela’s state broadcaster, Rodríguez said she is coordinating with the United Nations to send rescuers and with the International Monetary Fund to create an initial fund of $200 million for rebuilding the country.
She also appealed to the private sector for help with heavy machinery to assist rescue efforts.
Rodríguez urged Venezuelans to remain calm and “united,” and to stay in their homes if the structures are safe. She further said that Venezuela will hold a national prayer for all religions at 7 pm local time.
Wednesday evening’s 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region.
Visuals on state TV showed three children being pulled out alive from the rubble in La Guaira state, which Rodríguez described as a “disaster zone”. The area is the hardest hit by the quakes, going by the large number of collapsed buildings.
Rescue teams were deployed to carry out rapid evaluations in the worst-affected areas while mobilising prepositioned relief supplies.
