Families post appeals as Venezuela quake search enters second day
Al Jazeera reported more than 50,000 people remain missing after two earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday night.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
1 min read
Families in Venezuela are turning to the internet to seek information about missing relatives after two earthquakes struck the country on Wednesday night, Al Jazeera reported. More than 50,000 people remain missing, according to the broadcaster, making the search for survivors the central focus of the response.
Rescue teams and local residents were still working through collapsed debris on Friday, Al Jazeera reported. The effort continued two days after the earthquakes, with crews and neighbors digging through rubble in the hope of finding people alive.
The broadcaster said families have been posting details about loved ones online as they try to locate them. Those appeals reflect the scale of uncertainty facing households waiting for news while search work continues at damaged sites.
Al Jazeera described the earthquakes as devastating and said they hit Venezuela on Wednesday night. It reported the missing figure as more than 50,000 but did not provide further details in its report on casualties, the hardest-hit areas or the strength of the earthquakes.
The search remained active Friday, according to Al Jazeera, with both formal rescue teams and residents involved. Their work centered on rubble where survivors could still be trapped after the twin quakes.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.