Carlos Alsina has spoken in More than One with several of those affected by the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that shook Venezuela during the early hours of the morning. Onda Cero’s correspondent in the country, Gabriela García, is in an area of eastern Caracas where at least three buildings have collapsed. From there he has recounted the search and rescue efforts that continue among the rubble.
He has also reported that the Government of Delcy Rodríguez is coordinating the arrival of international aid from the United States, Mexico, Chile and other Latin American countries. At the moment, authorities have confirmed 32 deaths and more than 700 injured, although the numbers could increase in the coming hours as rescue efforts progress.
La Guaria, the most affected area
Among the testimonies collected by the program is that of Fabiana Soto, a resident of Caracas, who has been “dismayed and shocked” by a phenomenon to which Venezuelans are not accustomed. He explained that he has relatives in La Guaira, the region most affected by the earthquake, who have told him that they are collaborating in the rescue of people trapped under the rubble.
Soto has also recounted how they managed to remove the body of a minor from the rubble who, however, “unfortunately could not survive.” As he explained, in that area most of the buildings have been collapsed and several fires have also broken out. “It has been a catastrophe for the community on a much higher level than what we are seeing in Caracas,” he stated.
María Guevara, another of those affected by the earthquake, has also participated. She said she was at home with her husband and father watching a Brazil match in the World Cup when the tremors began. “We began to feel movements, it was a few eternal seconds,” he explained.
We began to feel movements, it was a few eternal seconds
According to his story, during the earthquake several photo frames fell into the house. Although his building has suffered damage, it has not collapsed. Even so, she and her family have decided to spend the night outside as a precaution, since they do not feel safe returning indoors.
Guevara has indicated that emergency services are focusing their efforts on areas where collapses have occurred. Meanwhile, her husband, who is a doctor, is collaborating in the rescue efforts and caring for the injured in need.
In More than one tCristian Sousa, another Venezuelan citizen who, like many others, has gone out to look for relatives and acquaintances in the rubble, has also spoken. “People are very distressed by the situation,” he said. Sousa has described a landscape marked by demolished buildings and by the intense work of firefighters and emergency teams, who continue to search for survivors among the remains of collapsed buildings.
