On 27/6, Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced 1,430 fatalities and 3,238 injured in the country's twin earthquakes. Tom Fletcher, the United Nations aid chief, estimated the death toll could continue to rise, with more than 50,000 people still missing.

Forecast models from the U.S. Geological Survey indicated the death toll could reach thousands, with a very high probability of exceeding 10,000.

A building destroyed by the earthquake in La Guaira, Venezuela, pictured on 27/6. Photo: AP

Rescue teams are racing against time to find survivors in the rubble, but hope is fading. Experts state the first 72 hours after a natural disaster are a critical window for finding people alive; after that, the work largely becomes body recovery.

"The situation is chaotic, hot, and disorganized", according to Craig Demeillon, an Australian firefighter who flew from the U.S. to La Guaira, Venezuela, to assist. "I hope we find more people."

A Salvadoran rescue worker expressed concern that "now there might only be bodies left." "God willing, we might still find someone alive", the worker added.

The UN migration agency stated that "up to 6,76 million people could be affected, needing emergency shelter, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, security assistance, and essential aid supplies." The UN estimated the damage from the twin earthquakes could reach 6,7 billion USD, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's GDP.

Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez reported that 21 countries have sent search and rescue teams to the nation. Previously, the U.S. announced it would send a disaster response team of over 250 personnel, including three specialized search and rescue units with K9 dogs trained to locate victims trapped under rubble.

The epicenter of the earthquake in Venezuela on 24/6. Graphic: Guardian

A magnitude 7,2 earthquake struck approximately 160 km west of Venezuela's capital, Caracas, on the evening of 24/6, with its epicenter at a depth of 22 km. Less than one minute later, a second quake of magnitude 7,5 occurred a few kilometers away, with its epicenter at a depth of 10 km. This marks the strongest earthquake in Venezuela since 1900.

Venezuela is a country prone to earthquakes. The strongest recorded quakes in its recent history occurred in the northeastern region in 1997 and in the capital, Caracas, in 1967, killing 73 and 236 people respectively.

By Nguyen Tien (AFP, AP, Reuters)