Venezuela races against time as death toll hits 235, missing top 46,000

The death toll from a series of powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela has risen to at least 235, with more than 4,300 people injured. More than 46,000 people have been registered as missing on a local tracking website, as rescuers conduct desperate search operations with the survival window rapidly closing.

Venezuelan Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said the earthquakes had killed at least 235 people, with the injury count rising sharply to 4,300 in a single day, according to foreign media reports Thursday (local time). The full scale of the disaster is likely to grow, given the number of collapsed buildings and areas with severed communications.

National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodriguez said at least 250 buildings had been damaged, including eight hospitals, the Venezuelan Red Cross headquarters and the French embassy. About 200 people are believed to remain trapped under rubble.

More than 46,000 people have been registered as missing on a tracking website run by a local civic group. However, the figure reflects reports submitted by family members and acquaintances and has not been officially confirmed by the Venezuelan government.

More than 30 hours have passed since the earthquakes struck, and rescue authorities are in a full-scale race against time. The first 24 to 48 hours after an earthquake are generally considered the period when survivors are most likely to be found. Rescue remains possible for up to 72 hours, but the probability of finding survivors drops sharply with each passing hour.

Residents in affected areas spent a second night outdoors amid fears of aftershocks. According to CNN, displaced people in the hard-hit port city of La Guaira, the capital Caracas and surrounding areas have been sheltering in parks and plazas.

Doctors Without Borders said a large number of residents had gathered in public spaces, unable to return home. Schools and baseball stadiums have been opened as temporary shelters, but space is limited and many residents are reluctant to go indoors for fear of further tremors.

Conditions on the ground are dire. Power and communications have been cut in many areas, leaving residents unable to confirm whether family members are alive. In some areas, websites and online message boards have been created to share photos and personal information in search of missing relatives.

Rescue operations are also moving slowly. With equipment and personnel in short supply, residents and volunteers are clearing concrete rubble with shovels, wheelbarrows and bare hands. The New York Times reported that anguished cries from residents who lost family members could be heard in the devastated coastal city, and that bodies were seen lying in the streets in some areas.

International support is accelerating. The United States, which earlier pledged $150 million in aid, has committed military resources to the effort. US Southern Command said Marine Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarard had arrived in Caracas to oversee American relief operations. US military aircraft, including transport planes and helicopters, are ferrying rescue personnel, equipment and relief supplies to affected areas.

The US military's involvement is also drawing attention because it comes roughly six months after American special operations forces carried out a mission in Caracas in January to arrest President Nicolas Maduro.

The UN is coordinating the deployment of urban search-and-rescue teams from various countries through the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has launched an emergency relief effort worth $2.5 million.

The IMF and the World Bank are in talks with the Venezuelan government on recovery support. The EU is using satellite systems to assess damage in affected areas and support relief operations on the ground.

Spain is sending military search-and-rescue teams and firefighters and is working to set up a field hospital. Germany has pledged a military transport aircraft, Switzerland a rescue team with search dogs, and France a specialist rescue unit. Latin American countries including Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, Chile and Cuba have also committed rescue personnel, medical staff and relief supplies.

Private support is also flowing in. Elon Musk's space company SpaceX said it would provide its Starlink satellite internet service free of charge through July 25. Pope Leo XIV donated an emergency relief fund of 100,000 euros ($114,000).