Rescue teams are racing to find more survivors of the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week, with tens of thousands of people missing.
The death toll from Wednesday's earthquakes neared 1,500 as rescue teams searched in La Guaira, the hardest-hit state. Earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck within a minute of each other, toppling buildings and severely damaging the country’s main international airport.
Dozens of buildings collapsed into piles of sand and rubble in the coastal state, about 40km north of Caracas.
“Rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing. Today we have recovered people alive and, therefore, operations are not being suspended. We always maintain hope,” said interim President Delcy Rodriguez, after announcing a presidential commission that would inspect unstable buildings on Sunday.
Flanked by several of her ministers, Ms Rodriguez said schools would be closed for one more week and that the electricity supply in La Guaira had been restored to 75 per cent capacity.
Although the government has given a figure of hundreds missing or trapped, just under 50,000 people were listed as unaccounted for on a website promoted by the country's political opposition on Sunday, a slight decline from 55,000 people a day earlier.
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The search and rescue operation continues after Venezuela was hit by two strong earthquakes last week. Here, a person is pulled alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in Caraballeda, La Guaira. AFP -
Collapsed buildings in Caraballeda, La Guaira. AFP -
A damaged apartment building in Catia La Mar, La Guaira. AFP -
The search for bodies at the site of a collapsed building in Caraballeda in La Guaira. AFP -
Emergency responders search for bodies in the debris of a building in Caraballeda city after two earthquakes struck Venezuela and other parts the Caribbean. Getty Images -
Venezuela's government said 1,600 members of foreign rescue teams arrived to help search for survivors of the disaster. Reuters -
The government confirmed hundreds of bodies had been recovered and efforts were continuing. EPA -
Rescuers from El Salvador search for people trapped in the rubble of a building in Catia La Mar, La Guaira, after two deadly earthquakes struck Venezuela. Getty Images -
Family members react as firefighters and volunteers search for their loved ones in the rubble in La Guaira. Tens of thousands of people have been reported missing since the quakes hit Venezuela on June 24. Reuters -
Destroyed buildings in Catia La Mar after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck, followed by a 7.5-magnitude aftershock less than a minute later. Getty Images -
A dog handler from El Salvador's rescue team during the search for survivors in La Guaira. The quakes killed hundreds of people and left thousands injured. Reuters -
The searches continued through the night. Reuters -
Damaged buildings in Catia La Mar. The La Guaira region, north of the capital Caracas, has been hardest hit. Getty Images -
A firefighter shouts through a pipe to people trapped under a collapsed building in La Guaira. Reuters -
A Mexican Army rescue worker and his dog search the rubble of a building in La Guaira. EPA -
Two people ride a motorcycle past a heavily damaged apartment building in Catia La Mar. AFP
The US Geological Survey estimated the earthquakes could cause more than 10,000 deaths, which would make them among Latin America's deadliest in the last century.
Earlier, Jorge Rodriguez, the acting President's brother and President of the National Assembly, said the death toll rose by 20 people on Sunday to reach 1,450. He added that 3,150 people remained injured, 12,721 had been displaced and 774 buildings had collapsed.
“We are in critical hours, in crucial hours to continue rescuing lives and to build camps where those people who have lost their homes, or who cannot return, for whatever reason, to their residences can stay,” he said.
Families and volunteers spent days pulling survivors and bodies from the rubble before the arrival of more than 2,600 foreign rescue workers, as hundreds of aftershocks deepened the damage and kept residents on edge.
The Venezuelan government will create a $200 million reconstruction fund using International Monetary Fund resources to finance repairs to infrastructure, hospitals and housing, Ms Rodriguez said last week. Officials are also discussing an additional fund to support victims, while public and private banks are to activate special credit lines for people who lost businesses or jobs.
A UN report estimated direct damage from the two earthquakes at about $6.7 billion.
UAE launches $10 million relief drive
The UAE has pledged $10 million to support relief efforts in Venezuela. The urgent humanitarian drive ordered by President Sheikh Mohamed aims to provide essential support to communities affected by the powerful quakes, which caused widespread destruction.
The initiative, led by the UAE Aid Agency, aims to accelerate early recovery efforts, and deliver aid including food and medical supplies.
Dr Tareq Al Ameri, chairman of the UAE Aid Agency, said the relief funding highlighted the UAE's leading role in responding to disasters and crises around the globe.
He said those affected by the earthquakes were facing challenging living conditions and needed immediate support.
China to send over $14 million of emergency supplies
China on Monday announced it would send an additional 100 million yuan ($14.72 million) of emergency supplies to Venezuela for free.
The supplies will be delivered as soon as possible, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, adding that Beijing is willing to provide more support.
