Venezuela earthquake latest: Thousands missing and fears death toll will soar as rescuers search for survivors – UK Times

The Venezuelan government has deployed the army and sent heavy machinery to the worst hit areas to help remove large amounts of debris.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez met with the army’s general staff to coordinate urgent relief measures for La Guaira state.

In addition to removing rubble, the army is set to organise support logistics for water, food, blankets, and mattresses, as many people have lost their homes.

As earthquakes struck from California to Venezuela to Japan, millions of people received warnings on their mobile phones, providing critical seconds to seek protection.

Venezuela was struck with a pair of deadly earthquakes Wednesday evening and Thursday morning that brought significant shaking to the northern coast of Japan. Earlier in the week residents in the U.S. state of California experienced a moderate earthquake, and at the start of June, 37 people in the Philippines died in a quake near Mindanao.

Many nations have developed systems for alerting people seconds before shaking begins, and even in countries like Venezuela that do not have such systems, Google Android Earthquake Alerts can send important warnings.

Venezuela was struck by rare, deadly back-to-back earthquakes on Wednesday, leaving hundreds dead or injured.

Rescuers are combing the rubble, searching for tens of thousands of people who have been reported missing after the disaster.

Here are some of the deadliest earthquakes in South and Central America in the past century…

Venezuelans in the US are rushing to organize donation drives following the devastating earthquakes that officials say killed at least 188 people.

Oscar Torres and thousands of others have been posting messages to a WhatsApp group that connects people in Venezuela with their families.

He lives in Doral, Florida, a city outside Miami that’s home to the largest Venezuelan population in the US.

“Already this morning, I was looking at the group in Doral and everybody’s pitching in — money, medicine, water. First, necessity items,” said Torres, a sales manager who moved to the US from Venezuela in 1995.

“They’re talking about making the first shipment ASAP.”

The number of people reported missing has risen to more than 40,000 with 188 people dead.

According to a website set up for Venezuelans to report missing loved ones following the earthquake, 41,621 people are currently missing.

It also says more than 4,000 people have been located after being reported missing.

A humanitarian worker in Venezuela said he was at a two-year-old’s birthday party when the earthquake struck causing “screaming, crying and yelling”.

Speaking to Sky News Jankiel Rosenwald, a humanitarian adviser with World Vision Venezuela, said: “I was on a rooftop, celebrating a two-year-old’s birthday. So I was surrounded by children, mothers, families, and it was very nerve-wracking, very chaotic.

“I was able to grab hold of my six-year-old and my wife and look for a wall to create the safety triangle. Mostly, it was screaming. It was crying, yelling.”

Venezuelans have described the horrific moment that two powerful earthquakes struck in 39 seconds in Caracas, leaving at least 164 people dead and over 10,000 missing.

Witnesses recalled how the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes – the most powerful seen in the country in over a century – caused buildings to collapse and sent panicked residents pouring into the streets.

About 250 buildings have been damaged or lost, in La Guaira, according to President of the National Assembly Jorge Rodríguez.

Speaking on Telesur, a Caracas-based pan-American TV channel, he confirmed the arrival of specialist rescue teams from the US, Mexico, Spain, Qatar, and the UN.

He also said acting President Delcy Rodríguez has requested for the creation of a $200m fund for assistance, the BBC reported,