Venezuela earthquake rescuers race critical 72-hour window as death toll tops 1,430

Three days after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, rescue workers and volunteers are still sifting through wreckage in a desperate push to reach anyone trapped alive. Authorities say the disasters have killed at least 1,430 people, with tens of thousands still unaccounted for.

Specialists note that the first 72 hours after major quakes offer the best chance of pulling survivors from collapsed structures. That period is set to close on Sunday.

Australian firefighter Craig Demeillon, 43, made the journey alone from Miami, Florida, to La Guaira — the area worst affected — to join the effort. “It’s just very chaotic, hot and unorganised,” he said. “Hopefully, there’s more people to find.”

Among the most dramatic moments came on Friday, when people in the coastal zone recovered a newborn from the debris roughly 32 hours after Thursday’s magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 shocks. Footage shared widely online showed a man in tears holding the infant.

Operations have been slowed by tight controls on entry into La Guaira state, where volunteers must secure safe-entry passes before they can work. Carlos Itriago, 27, who hoped to join the response, waited in line for clearance. “You need a permit to save lives. Just imagine,” he said. “How many lives have we already lost by now?”

The first United States military relief flights have reached Caracas, while a naval vessel sits offshore. International search-and-rescue units are also on the ground, bringing detection dogs and specialist gear.

The United Nations estimates that as many as 6.76 million people could require shelter, clean water, and medical support. The organisation cautioned that both the death count and the number of bodies recovered are expected to increase as urgent search work shifts toward a slower, grimmer recovery phase.