Updated numbers have been reported from the recent earthquakes in Venezuela, with Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez announcing 589 have been killed and 2,980 injured. The two earthquakes occurred within seconds of each other on Wednesday, with a severe magnitude of 7.2 and 7.5, hitting the country's northern coast and affecting multiple cities in the region.According to the website, Desaparecidos Terremoto Venezuela, translated as Missing persons from the Venezuela earthquake, over 50,000 people have been reported missing.It also includes the fact over 9,000 people that have been found after being reported missing.These reports are all from people reporting on their own on the website, and are not confirmed..Reported by the BBC, on Thursday evening, the country's health minister, Carlos Alvarado, stated 235 people had died and the state most affected was La Guira.However, by Friday morning the updated figure given by Rodriguez stated over 500 people had perished.Rodriguez also announced on Friday La Guira will be "militarized" to help with the emergency response in the area.She added that there have been a total of 214 aftershocks so far.."This demonstrates and reflects the seismic activity in our territory," Rodriguez stated.In a clip posted by the Venezuelan ministry of communication and information on X, Venezuelan police officers rescue a child from a pile of debris.Another clip shows a Venezuelan city in La Guira filled with people on the streets attending the festival Fiesta de San Juan Bautista, which celebrates African culture, when the earthquake hit, and people stopped their festivities as they felt the earth begin to shake. Help has been arriving from across the world, as both Swiss and Spanish rescue workers arrived Friday in Venezuela..Italy, Czechia, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and the Netherlands saw their rescue teams depart for Venezuela a short time ago.The UK's Foreign Office stated on Thursday their international search and rescue team "stands ready for deployment."On Thursday, the Venezuelan president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, stated rescue efforts continue, confirming the arrival of special rescue units from the US, Mexico, Qatar, and the UN.On Friday, the US pledged $150 million in assistance to Venezuela..Canada has also said it will be sending $5 million in humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.The quake's impact caused severe damage and the collapse of several buildings in both Caracas and La Guaira.Venezuela's interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, stated the states of Trujillo, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Aragua, and Miranda have also been affected.The US Geological Society (USGS) claims since Venezuela lies along the boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, which are moving past one another — the sudden release of friction between the two plates is what likely triggered the earthquake.
