Venezuela Quake: Father, Son Rescued After Four Days

The back-to-back quakes, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck on Wednesday evening and destroyed nearly 200 buildings in the coastal state of La Guaira, where apartment blocks, hotels and public housing collapsed in layers. Rescuers warned that the critical 72-hour window for finding survivors had closed on Saturday evening; Swiss team leader Sebastian Eugster said the probability of saving trapped people drops sharply after roughly three days. The true scale of the disaster remains unclear: the government has referred to hundreds missing, while other estimates put the figure near 50,000, and families had reportedly listed almost 69,000 names by Saturday. Officials described these as Venezuela's worst earthquakes in over a century, striking a nation already weakened by more than a decade of economic collapse.

The international response has been substantial, with 24 countries sending 521 tons of supplies, sniffer-dog units and over 2,700 search-and-rescue personnel, while American helicopters ferried in aid and extra troops arrived to expand the main airport and reopen a key seaport. Starlink began offering free connectivity in La Guaira after local networks failed, and Pope Leo expressed solidarity with survivors during his Sunday address. Yet frustration has boiled over: residents accused authorities of a slow, inadequate response, looting hit ransacked shops, and crowds urged soldiers to dig with picks and shovels. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez praised rescuers and pledged that efforts would not stop. The United Nations estimates up to 6.76 million people may eventually need shelter, water and other essential aid.