Venezuela races to find quake survivors as death toll hits 1,450

More search and rescue teams are arriving in Venezuela five days after powerful 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes struck within a minute of each other, flattening buildings in the north. The second tremor was one of the strongest to hit the country in a century. Authorities say at least 1,450 people have died, 3,150 were injured and 12,721 displaced, and some 68,900 people have been reported unaccounted for by their families.

Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, warned the nation is in 'critical hours' to continue rescuing survivors and to build camps for those who cannot return home. Experts say the first 72 hours after a major disaster define a narrow window for pulling people alive from the rubble; after that searches usually shift to recovering bodies.

Search and rescue operations continue in La Guaira and other badly hit areas. Acting president Delcy Rodríguez said power has been restored to La Guaira, the port city near the country’s main international airport.

Venezuela, La Guaira

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