Venezuela Quake: Father, Son Rescued After Four Days

The two quakes, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck on Wednesday evening and destroyed almost 200 buildings in the coastal state of La Guaira, where apartment blocks, hotels and public housing collapsed. Rescuers warned that the vital 72-hour window for finding survivors had closed on Saturday evening, as the chance of saving trapped people falls sharply after about three days. The true scale of the disaster is still unclear: the government has spoken of hundreds missing, while other estimates reach nearly 50,000, and families had reportedly listed almost 69,000 names. Officials called these Venezuela's worst earthquakes in over a century.

The international response has been large, with 24 countries sending 521 tons of supplies, sniffer-dog units and more than 2,700 rescue workers. American helicopters brought in aid, and extra troops arrived to expand the main airport and reopen a key seaport. Yet anger has grown: residents accused the authorities of a slow, weak response, shops were looted, and crowds urged soldiers to dig with picks and shovels. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez praised rescuers and promised that efforts would continue. The United Nations estimates that up to 6.76 million people may eventually need shelter, water and other aid.