Venezuela earthquakes kill 920 people as families desperate for news

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Venezuela earthquakes kill 920 people as families desperate for news Figure caption, 'They are all I have': Mother searches for missing daughtersByTom McArthurPublished4 minutes agoMore than 900 people have been killed and 3,360 others injured in the Venezuela earthquakes, according to the government, as rescuers keep searching for survivors and families wait desperately for news. The injured are being treated in makeshift medical facilities after dozens of buildings in the country's north were destroyed by the two quakes, including in the capital Caracas. A senior government official said hundreds of international rescue workers have arrived in the country, with more on the way.

Two powerful earthquakes rocked Venezuela within seconds of each other on Wednesday. The second quake was one of the strongest tremors to hit the country in a century, at a magnitude of 7. Devastating images from the Venezuelan earthquake 'I thought I was going to die' - Venezuelans describe earthquake panic Published1 day agoVenezuela earthquakes in maps and graphics - where they hit and how severe they could be Published1 day agoLa Guaira, a region north of the capital, has been hit the hardest, officials said.

The Details

The state is also home to one of the country's two main ports and to Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía - the country's main airport. Many people are missing, and it is likely the death toll will rise as rescue efforts continue. In La Guaira, Natacha Diaz told the that her two daughters - aged 22 and 23 - were trapped under the rubble of a collapsed shopping centre, where they worked as manicurists.

"They were with their friends," she said. "I just want them to be found. I have faith and hope that they are there.

""I just want them back with me. They are all I have, please. "National assembly head Jorge Rodriguez said in a state TV broadcast on Friday that the death toll had reached 920, with at least 172 people still believed to be trapped.

What Experts Say

In La Guaira alone, at least 243 people have been rescued, the top lawmaker - who is the interim president's brother - said. Dozens of people have been rescued alive, which "brings us joy that they can embrace their families and loved ones", Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said at a televised briefing on Friday. There has been 214 aftershocks since the initial quakes, she added.

Hundreds of buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including a number of hospitals and shopping centres, Jorge Rodríguez said, adding that at least 1,000 other infrastructure sites have also been damaged. Surviving medical facilities are said to be overwhelmed, with medics telling the that even before the disaster it was difficult to treat patients. "All our hospitals lack supplies, lack medicines, we are not able to provide medical attention to our people in a normal day," doctor Pedro Javier Fernandez said.

"Now with this tragedy, the emergency is even bigger and it's more difficult to face than in other countries," he added.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.