Twin Earthquakes Shatter Venezuela: Death Toll Climbs to 589 with 50,000 Missing

Venezuela: The death toll keeps climbing after the earthquake occurred in Venezuela's capital city. President Delcy Rodriguez said on Friday that 589 people are dead. and 2,980 were injured. But the real number might be much worse. A government website for missing people has 50,000 names on it. No one knows where these people are. They could be dead under the rubble. They could be in hospitals with no one to identify them.

What USGS had said?

The earthquakes hit on Wednesday evening. A 7.2 followed by a 7.5 magnitude and both came one minute apart. They were among the strongest to hit Latin America ever.

The U.S. Geological Survey thinks the death toll could reach 10,000 before it is over. That would make this worse than any earthquake Venezuela has seen in modern times. The last big one was in 1967. That killed 240.

Which city is destroyed?

La Guaira is a coastal city near Caracas and got hit the hardest. At least 100 buildings fell and apartment towers came down. People are digging with their hands because of no avaibility of the equipment at a time. According to media reports, one residents had said that her 19-year-old son is under the rubble of their seven-story building.

How ordinary civilians helped each others?

Venezuelans are helping each other. Motorcycle convoys left Caracas and Valencia on Thursday night. They were carried food, medicines and water. People are riding through the night to get supplies to the affected areas.

How international teams had helped?

By Thursday night, foreign rescue teams started showing up. The Dominican Republic came first and Mexico sent 250 rescuers. El Salvador sent 188. Spain sent nearly 100. Colombia sent 63. Switzerland and Germany sent teams with search dogs. They have special equipment to find people. The United States announced 150 million dollars in aid. The U.S. temporarily eased sanctions to let aid in. The Pentagon is helping fix Caracas airport so more planes can land.

How was the country already had broken?

Venezuela was already in bad shape before the earthquakes. The economy was destroyed and the government was unstable. Things were falling apart nut now it is worse. In Moron, a coastal town near the epicenter, homes became just rubble. People had no electricity and no running water. They are pulling whatever they can find from the ruins. The Caracas Stock Exchange is closed and it is now an aid center.

How many could be affected?

The United Nations migration agency said that the seven million people could be hurt by this. They are sending tents, food and water. But the need is enormous. Seeing the situation, the country cannot handle it alone. It needs the world's help now.

What about Oil?

One thing did not break. Venezuela's oil industry kept running. Foreign energy companies said their operations did not suffer major damage. The key oil infrastructure was spared. That is the only good news in a disaster that has left the country reeling.