Venezuela quake toll rises to 1,430; millions cut off from food, water

The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430, top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said on Saturday, as cited by Reuters.He said 3,200 people were injured and 3,100 were left homeless, adding that he had spoken by phone with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who expressed support for Venezuela following the disaster.While the government has said hundreds of people remain missing or trapped, more than 54,000 people have been listed as unaccounted for on a website promoted by the country's opposition.The US Geological Survey has estimated that the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes could result in more than 10,000 deaths, potentially making them among the deadliest earthquakes in Latin America over the past century.The United Nations said nearly 7 million people could be affected by the disaster and estimated direct economic losses at around $6.7 billion.Venezuela's government said on Saturday that 1,600 members of foreign rescue teams had arrived to assist in the search for survivors following the earthquakes, as cited by Reuters.Millions more were feared to be without sanitation and other basic necessities as the first US aid flights began arriving in Caracas.In La Guaira, a coastal city where at least 100 buildings, including residential high-rises, were destroyed or damaged, residents and volunteers have complained for days about a shortage of heavy equipment and a limited official response.Interim president Delcy Rodriguez said in an overnight address on state television that rescue teams from 10 more countries were expected to join the operation. She added that 14,000 military personnel and police officers had been deployed in La Guaira to maintain security and carry out sanitation measures.Rodriguez also said that while power remained out near the earthquake epicentre in Moron and in La Guaira, electricity had been restored in other affected areas, with around 60 per cent of the supply now back online.Catch the latest world news and top headlines. Download the TOI App.