Venezuela quake toll tops 1,400

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — Rescue crews raced on Sunday to find survivors in the rubble of Venezuela's powerful earthquakes as the death toll reached 1,430 and hopes dwindled more than three days after the earth roared and rumbled.

Tens of thousands of people were reported missing as collapsed buildings dotted cities in a country already enduring an economic crisis and political upheaval after United States special forces forcibly seized President Nicolas Maduro in January.

Millions of people were also feared to lack sanitation and other basic needs.

The Chinese embassy in Venezuela said eight Chinese nationals had been confirmed dead in Wednesday's earthquakes as of Saturday afternoon (Sunday morning, Beijing time).

Experts say the first 72 hours after natural disasters are the key, narrow window for finding the living. After that, the search becomes one of recovering bodies.

A Salvadoran rescue worker who declined to give his name put it this way: "At this point, they are probably dead bodies. Thanks to God, maybe we can find people still alive."

An 11-year-old boy was rescued from the rubble in Caraballeda, in the north of the country, late on Saturday, interim leader Delcy Rodriguez said.

"Every life is a source of hope for Venezuela," she said in a post on X, accompanied by a video of the rescue.

The search for survivors saw desperate attempts by local residents to claw away rubble from collapsed buildings.

"It's just very chaotic, hot and unorganized," said Australian firefighter Craig De Meillon, 43, who traveled alone to La Guaira from Miami, Florida, to help. "Hopefully, there are more people to find."

Venezuela's government said on Saturday that 1,600 members of foreign rescue teams had arrived to help search for survivors as it tightened access to the worst-affected state.

Rodriguez said in an overnight address on state television that 10 more countries were still to join rescue efforts and 14,000 military and police members were in La Guaira to patrol and take sanitary measures.

Foreign Ministry official Oliver Blanco said on Saturday that in recent hours Venezuela had received 17 flights carrying more than 1,600 members of rescue teams, and that over the next 24 hours, 25 additional flights were expected.

"We thank the international community for its support and solidarity during these moments of uncertainty for Venezuelans," Blanco said.

Donating supplies

The Chinese embassy said overseas Chinese in Venezuela have donated about 500 metric tons of relief supplies, including bottled water, biscuits, diapers, milk, rice, sugar and fish.

The supplies were donated by the Federation of Chinese Associations in Venezuela and other Chinese community groups as of Saturday afternoon, benefiting nearly 10,000 families affected by the disaster.

Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told Agence France-Presse on Friday that the death toll could continue to soar, adding that more than 50,000 people were missing.

The International Organization for Migration said it had examined available population and damage data and had determined that "up to 6.76 million people could be affected", and would "require emergency shelter, safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, healthcare, protection support and essential relief items".

Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez reported 1,430 dead and 3,238 people injured on Saturday, while the United Nations estimated $6.7 billion in physical damage, equivalent to 6 percent of the country's GDP.

AGENCIES-XINHUA