Venezuela to limit access to hard-hit La Guaira region as search for quake survivors enters day 3

The situation is getting worse desperate for an hour in Venezuela as people dig through the rubble of destroyed houses and residential buildings three days after two earthquakes struck the country, leaving hundreds dead and thousands stranded.

Venezuelans have taken the search for their missing loved ones into their own hands, citing a lack of government rescuers, as the number of people affected by Wednesday’s earthquake rose. Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours as the critical time to bring people back alive, although that can be extended if they have access to food and water.

Venezuelans reported seeing a few rescue teams in the most affected areasdespite the authorities portraying a strong government response. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said the Venezuelan government is taking full responsibility for these “critical times to save people alive” and welcomed the arrival of international rescuers and humanitarian aid.

Diana Sandrano told “CBS Saturday Morning” that her brother has been missing for two days. The building he lived in collapsed due to the earthquake. Rescuers and search dogs searched the building as he prayed for a miracle. Sandrano said he would look for her “as long as it takes.”

“He deserves to live and have a future,” Sandrano said, after a day of searching.

More than 200 people have been rescued so far, the Caracas government said. But about 51,000 are still missing. This number may include people unable to contact loved ones due to lack of cell phone signals, and some reports may double.

The International Organization for Migration said that about 6.76 million people in Venezuela could be affected by the earthquake, including about two million in Caracas alone.

Officials have blocked access to the epicenter as families wait and hope

The authorities announced on Friday evening that they will block entry to La Guaira, the city an episode of destruction just north of Caracas, as chaos and traffic began to disrupt search efforts. Anyone who wants to enter will have to seek official permits, but provide few details on who will be allowed to enter.

Rodríguez said food and water are being distributed in the region by government officials. He said La Guaira had been invaded and more aid was on the way, as residents said it was only a small part of what they needed.

Nazareth Jimenez cried on her loved one’s shoulder as she watched neighbors use hammers and power tools to try to cut concrete slabs from a building that had been reduced to a mountain of rubble. He was filled with anxiety as he waited to see if his siblings, nieces, nephews and friends would make it out alive.

“My lord, how are we going to get them out of there?” Jimenez said.

Jimenez called for a machine that can move fallen buildings.

“We are asking for help from the government and countries around the world,” he said. “There are still people out there.”

Omar Reyes said about 20 family members died in the disaster.

“I am left alone in this life,” Reyes said, walking through the rubble where her two children were buried.

Because the two earthquakes happened in the same minute, many people did not have time to leave their buildings, said a professor from Northwestern University. Emile Okal told CBS News. The shallow depth of the earthquake led to a large impact on the area.

The twin earthquakes were followed by a series of aftershocks, including a 4.5-magnitude quake recorded on Friday. Loyce Pace, the regional director of the International Red Cross’ America, said that “people are still afraid to re-enter their homes.”

Earthquakes increase economic and political unrest

The tragedy poses a major challenge for Rodríguez, who was the vice president started working in January after the capture and removal of former President Nicolás Maduro by the United States. Venezuela has been facing economic problems for more than a decade, and many people reject the legitimacy of the country. the political organization Rodríguez represents.

In the town of Maiquetia, people lined up outside shops and pharmacies to feed one by one without closed doors. At one point a woman in the crowd threw herself down to protect a pack of diapers with her body, wanting to keep it.

Traffic and crowds of motorcyclists sometimes hampered search efforts. Mexican soldiers and volunteers repeatedly called for silence to try to hear signs of life under the rubble, but the bikers – both soldiers and in uniform – continued to blast their horns and rev engines.

Some people began carrying basic goods such as toilet paper and food to shops in Catia La Mar, an area of ​​La Guaira that holds more than 200 apartment towers. Others filled the van that was delivering bread and water until a soldier intervened. The pharmacy parking lot turned into a shelter with hammocks, hammocks and tents.

A few kilometers away, Yuleidy Cadenas, 28, stood across the street from a collapsed public housing building, hoping her son, mother and brother would be pulled out alive.

He ran barefoot from another building as it collapsed on Wednesday and found his mother’s 12-story tower gutted.

“I climbed on top of the debris and told them to answer me, no one answered me, my brother, my son or my mother,” said Cadenas.

International rescuers are bringing resources and expertise

Venezuelan authorities said on Friday that 861 volunteers from Mexico, the US, El Salvador, Switzerland, Colombia and beyond are in the country, while others came from other places.

Rodríguez said he spoke with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday and they confirmed their commitment to send rescue teams and aid missions.

US resources include search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles, Rubio said Thursday. The US has also sent medical and humanitarian aid, he said.