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The death toll from Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes rose to 2,954 on Saturday, according to official figures.
Fatalities increased by more than 300 since Friday, while the number of injured citizens has surpassed 16,000.
The June 24 disaster ranks as one of Latin America’s worst earthquake tragedies, leaving more than 16,000 people homeless and collapsing 190 buildings, primarily in the coastal La Guaira region north of Caracas.
Ten days after the initial 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude double shocks, emergency teams are finally wrapping up their searches for survivors.
Families continue the painful task of recovering the bodies of their loved ones from the debris.
Although the critical 72-hour window for locating survivors passed days ago, rescue teams miraculously pulled a few people alive from the rubble earlier this week.
In a clear sign that operations are closing, interim President Delcy Rodriguez held a ceremony to award medals to international rescue teams and their search dogs.
Specialised crews from Los Angeles County, Florida, and Virginia are packing up to leave this weekend after recent sweeps showed no signs of life.
Many Venezuelans express deep anger over the government’s slow response, noting that families had to dig out loved ones with their bare hands before international help arrived.
While Rodriguez defends the state’s mobilisation of thousands of troops, local volunteers and heavy machinery operators face the grim task of clearing rubble and recovering bodies for funerals.
Meanwhile, overflowing hospitals now face the growing risk of disease outbreaks, leaving thousands of displaced citizens vulnerable in streets and shelter camps.
