More than 11,000 people have been reported missing following the powerful earthquakes that devastated parts of Venezuela, raising fears that the death toll could rise significantly as rescue operations continue.
According to Al Jazeera, the figure reflects only those reported missing through official channels by people who were able to access the internet, suggesting the actual number of missing could be considerably higher.
Search-and-rescue teams continue to work across the worst-affected areas, including the capital, Caracas, where emergency crews are searching collapsed buildings for survivors. Officials have warned that hopes of finding people alive are fading as time passes, although rescue efforts remain ongoing.
The missing-person reports come after Venezuelan authorities confirmed that at least 235 people had been killed and hundreds more injured in the twin earthquakes, making the disaster one of the deadliest natural catastrophes to strike the country in recent history.
The twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, struck within one minute of each other near the Caribbean coastal city of Morón, causing widespread destruction across northern Venezuela. Because the disaster occurred during a weekend holiday, many people were inside homes and residential buildings when the earthquakes struck, contributing to the high number of casualties and missing persons.
Venezuela lies in an active seismic zone where major earthquakes, although infrequent, can cause severe destruction. Experts say aging infrastructure, densely populated urban neighborhoods and limited emergency resources have increased the impact of the disaster and complicated rescue efforts.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington’s immediate priority is supporting efforts to rescue people believed to remain trapped beneath collapsed structures. Humanitarian agencies have also warned that prolonged rescue operations, damaged infrastructure and disruptions to essential services could worsen conditions for thousands of survivors displaced by the earthquakes.
