Share to ClassroomVenezuela Quake: Father and Son Saved
A man and his teenage son were pulled alive in Caraballeda, a town near Caracas, on Sunday. This was almost four days after two strong earthquakes hit the north coast of Venezuela. French and American teams saved them. They were among 33 people found alive over the weekend. The group also included a baby and two boys aged 11. But the news was sad too: about 1,450 people have died, and more than 3,000 are hurt.
The two earthquakes were powerful. They hit on Wednesday evening and destroyed almost 200 buildings in La Guaira, a state by the sea. Homes, hotels and apartments fell down. Rescuers said the best time to find survivors— the first 72 hours— ended on Saturday. After about three days, it is much harder to save trapped people. No one knows how many are missing. The government says hundreds, but others say nearly 50,000.
Many countries are helping. In total, 24 countries sent 521 tons of food and other supplies, dogs that search for people, and more than 2,700 rescue workers. But many local people are angry. They say the government was too slow, and some shops were robbed. The United Nations (a group of many countries) says up to 6.76 million people may need help, such as shelter, water and food.
