In brief:
- The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela has surpassed 900.
- The event has devastated a nation already weakened by decades of economic and political turmoil.
The search has intensified for tens of thousands reported missing in Venezuela as the death toll from two major earthquakes surpassed 900.
Venezuela's government said on Friday that 172 people remained trapped, 920 were dead, and more than 3,000 were injured after two magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes hit within a minute of one another and devastated parts of the country's north on Wednesday evening, local time.
More than 50,000 people have been reported missing.
Witnesses reported hearing cries from people trapped alive under concrete and metal.
The event triggered an outpouring of support from nations across the world, but nearly two days later, foreign rescue teams and aid had just begun to reach hard-hit areas.
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Frustration is mounting in Venezuela over equipment shortages and limited official presence.
Residents in the hardest-hit state, La Guaria, reported digging through the rubble with their hands, and complained of a lack of equipment, as volunteers ferried supplies on motorcycles from nearby Caracas and Valencia.
Survivors stood in masses of rubble, calling out for their missing relatives.
Arminda Gómez wept as she called out for her missing grandson and pregnant daughter.
"Please help me find my daughter, to see if she is trapped under the rubble," she pleaded.
Interim president Delcy Rodriguez visited La Guaira on Friday after the area was declared a "disaster zone."
The coastal city was without electricity, and many residents spent the night in the streets or searching for their relatives, according to AFP reporters.
Despite initially thanking the volunteers, Rodriguez and other officials later told people to stay away from La Guaira city because clogged roads were making rescue operations more difficult.
They announced roads would be closed starting at 8pm (midnight GMT) except to official and registered response teams.
Rodriguez said the government was creating a $200 million reconstruction fund for damaged hospitals and homes in a national address late Wednesday, as she declared a state of emergency.
Nation under strain
The quakes struck a nation already weakened by decades of economic and political turmoil that has impoverished residents, driven millions abroad and weakened infrastructure.
The 7.5-magnitude earthquake was Venezuela's most powerful since 29 October, 1900, when a 7.7-magnitude tremor struck offshore.
A United States geological survey estimated more than 10,000 deaths were possible, which would make the event one of Latin America's deadliest earthquakes of the last century.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply saddened" by the disaster as the global body vowed to assist Venezuela.
The strongest quake to hit Venezuela in 126 years will require "massive collective efforts," UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement.
The International Medical Corps (IMC), which was providing support on the ground, said the hospitals which had survived the quake were overwhelmed with mass casualties, adding that the long-term effects of the earthquakes were likely to be severe.
"In addition to loss of life and a high injury toll, health and other infrastructure has been devastated in a country already suffering from high rates of poverty and a weak healthcare system.
"Priority needs include medical equipment, medical supplies, food, non‑food items, clean water and hygiene materials. The situation is extremely dire, and immediate support is critical," the IMC said in a statement.
With additional reporting by Agence-France Presse.
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