The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela now exceeds 1400 as desperation grows in the search for survivors. Foreign rescue teams are arriving in the country to assist efforts as Venezuelans grow frustrated with an apparent lack of official presence.
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TRANSCRIPT:
The death toll from two devastating earthquakes in Venezuela has surpassed 1400 as foreign rescue teams arrive to help search for survivors.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the United Nations secretary-general, says various agencies are involved in the rescue effort.
"A total of 30 of these teams are deploying to Venezuela with more than 1,600 personnel, 100 dogs coming from a wide variety of countries. WFP (World Food Program) says it has enough to feed more than 10,000 families for two months in Venezuela."
Desperation is setting in for Venezuelans attempting to locate their loved ones among piles of rubble as each day worsens chances for their survival.
Yamile Santana, whose son and his partner remain missing, says there is not enough machinery to remove all the rubble.
"They say there are people there who are still alive. But it seems there is not enough machinery and equipment to clear all this rubble. I ask – please – to send people who are capable of helping us, and that they don’t stop searching.. they don’t stop searching. Because they told me today that they want to stop searching, and that’s not right, because we still hope our loved ones come out alive. Please don’t stop searching."
Crowds of volunteers are assisting in rescue efforts, with frustration growing over what many say has been an inadequate response from government officials.
Street vendor Yeison Marcano says many officials are only pretending to help with the efforts.
"The only security agency that helped us was the CICPC (Forensic police). They stood with us, but neither the police nor the National Guard helped us. They came to eat arepas (local food) and take pictures to make it look like they were working. They didn't even get their uniforms dirty like we have. We've been here for three days."
While the Venezuelan government is reporting that hundreds of people are missing or trapped, a website promoted by the opposition says more than 55,000 are listed as unaccounted for.
The US Geological Survey estimates more than 10,000 deaths were possible from the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes, which would make it among Latin America's deadliest earthquakes of the last century.
Rescue team member Miguel Salinas says removing the rubble safely is incredibly difficult.
"It's an impactful and complex process; we are using heavy machinery, which also makes for a very dangerous technique for the rescue workers themselves, because the structure is unstable. So when we remove a section, checking each, we use the eyes, the smell and all the senses."
At a government facility in La Guaira, dozens of bodies recovered from the collapsed buildings have been left outside for family members to identify.
Many families are struggling to come up with the $350 to $450 needed to cremate their loved ones, with officials telling them their bodies will be relocated until a funeral home can pick them up.
Holding the papers of his dead wife, Ernesto Rojas says he is lucky to be alive.
"I was 5 hours under the rubble. We (Rojas and his wife) talked for the first hour until she fell, silent; she spoke to me no more. I got really desperate in three moments. I screamed so much that I thought I was having a heart attack. I kept screaming and screaming and I think that was what saved me."
