Two consecutive earthquakes of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude in Venezuela have caused huge devastation. Relief and rescue operations are continuing even three days after the earthquake. So far 1,430 people have died, while 68,900 people are missing. The race is on against time to rescue the people buried under the debris alive. For this reason, more than 2,000 rescue workers from about 20 countries of the world have reached Venezuela and are continuously engaged in relief work. Till Saturday, more than 1,600 foreign rescue workers had reached the country through 17 planes. Later other teams also came. These include experts from many countries including America, Mexico, Brazil, France, El Salvador.
Rescue teams are searching for people in the debris with the help of heavy machines, search equipment and sniffer dogs. The maximum devastation has occurred in La Guaira state. Here people are removing debris with shovels, ropes, heavy machines and at many places by hand to save their family members and neighbors. Many people are climbing on top of the broken buildings and calling out the names of their family members, so that if anyone is alive, their voice can be heard. The rescue operation is continuing amid dust, intense heat and the foul smell emanating from the dead bodies.
Displeasure regarding relief work
Meanwhile, resentment among the people regarding the relief work of the government is also increasing. Many people say that the army, police and administration were not prepared for this big disaster. People allege that very little government help was seen in the initial hours, whereas after the earthquake, every minute is very important to save someone’s life.
Local woman Milady Romero said that many people were alive under the debris at night, but they were not rescued in time. A young man named Yesan Marcano alleged that some government employees came to the spot, took photographs and left, while the local people themselves have been doing relief work continuously for the last three days. At one place, people angrily stopped a government digging machine because they said the officials were returning without helping.
60 lakh people affected by earthquake
According to United Nations relief agencies, the first 48 to 72 hours after an earthquake are the most critical for any person’s survival. If people trapped under the debris continue to get water and air, their hopes of survival may last for a few more days.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 6 million people have been affected by this disaster. These include about 2 million people from the capital Caracas alone. Experts say that both the earthquakes occurred at shallow depth and at a very short time difference, hence the damage increased manifold. An aftershock of 4.8 magnitude was also felt on Saturday, which again spread panic among the people.
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