The death toll from the powerful twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday had risen to 920, with 3,360 others injured, Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said on Friday.
Another 172 people still remained trapped under debris and 3,007 others had been displaced by the disaster, Rodriguez said.
The earthquakes damaged 383 buildings, including 13 hospitals and 25 commercial centers, he said, adding that another 1,002 facilities sustained varying degrees of damage.
As of Friday afternoon, 871 international rescue workers had arrived in the country to assist in relief operations, Rodriguez said.
Meanwhile, as of midday Friday, over 50,000 people remained missing, according to a website established to receive reports of people still unaccounted for. Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said Friday that La Guaira state, one of the worst-hit areas, had been placed under military control to facilitate rescue efforts and ensure security.
Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said that over 5,000 medical workers have been urgently mobilized nationwide to fully engage in the earthquake relief efforts, and in La Guaira state, the military has set up a field hospital to help ease local medical capacity pressures.
The Chinese embassy in Venezuela confirmed that seven Chinese citizens were among those killed in the earthquakes.
Search and rescuers are racing to reach survivors beneath the rubble before the “golden” window of time closes, and families are waiting desperately for news.
Death toll from Venezuela earthquakes rises to 920
