WILLEMSTAD – Rescue workers in Venezuela are continuing a desperate search for survivors after the country's devastating earthquakes, with voices heard from beneath the rubble offering hope that people remain alive under collapsed buildings.
According to eyewitnesses at one of the disaster sites, at least four people trapped beneath a collapsed building have been responding to calls from those gathered above the debris.
The cries for help have encouraged rescue teams and volunteers, who have been trying to maintain communication with the survivors while awaiting specialized equipment capable of lifting the massive concrete slabs covering them.
Without heavy machinery on site, those at the scene have been unable to begin a full rescue operation. Instead, they have focused on marking the exact locations where signs of life have been detected and relaying that information to emergency authorities.
Every minute is considered critical as search-and-rescue teams race against time to reach those believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
The dramatic scenes underscore the enormous challenges facing emergency responders following the powerful earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela. Rescue operations have been hampered by widespread structural damage, blocked roads, and the need for specialized equipment to safely remove debris without causing further collapses.
Authorities continue to deploy national and international search-and-rescue teams to the hardest-hit areas, where hopes remain that additional survivors can still be pulled from the rubble.
The earthquakes have caused widespread destruction across several regions of Venezuela, with hundreds of buildings damaged or destroyed and rescue efforts continuing around the clock. Officials have warned that the number of casualties could rise as emergency crews gain access to additional collapsed structures.