Venezuela earthquakes toll rises to 1,430

The toll from the twin powerful earthquakes in Venezuela increased to 1,430 on Saturday, AFP reported.

At least 68,900 persons had been reported missing as of Saturday, AP reported.

On Friday, the toll was 920 with more than 3,300 persons injured.

The two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the South American country on Wednesday. Videos posted on social media showed several collapsed buildings and damage at the airport in the capital city of Caracas. Operations were underway to rescue persons trapped under the debris.

The La Guaira region near the capital was the hardest-hit, the country’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez said.

The epicentres of both the quakes were close to Caracas, the United States Geological Survey said.

The first quake occurred at 6 pm local time at a depth of nearly 22 km. The second struck a minute later at a depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes tend to be more destructive.

The “doublet” earthquake was the most powerful to occur in the region in 126 years. There were several aftershocks.

The Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency and said that the Maiquetia airport in Caracas would close following “serious damage”.

The United Nations has preliminarily estimated $6.7 billion in physical damage, which is equivalent to 6% of Venezuela’s gross domestic product.

Several countries have sent assistance to Venezuela. Rescue teams from Spain, El Salvador, Switzerland,...

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