Earthquakes in Venezuela: The Foreign Ministry located four Peruvians, but two are still missing after the earthquakes in La Guaira

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously reported that two Peruvian citizens residing in the state of La Guaira, considered especially vulnerable, were evacuated and returned to Peru. Likewise, he indicated that more than 14 tons of humanitarian aid were sent aboard a Hercules aircraft of the Peruvian Air Force, in coordination with the Ministry of Defense and the National Institute of Civil Defense (Indeci), in addition to the support provided by first responders and volunteer organizations.

The Peruvian authorities indicated that they will continue working with Venezuelan institutions to locate their compatriots still missing and assist those who remain affected by the tragedy, one of the worst recorded in the recent history of the Caribbean country.

Victims increase

Five days after the earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 that shook the Venezuelan Caribbean coast, time is against the rescue teams. Humanitarian organizations remember that the first 72 hours are usually decisive in finding survivors, although the chances can be extended if trapped people have access to water or food.

While family members and brigade members continue removing rubble in the hope of finding people alive, the official death toll now exceeds 1,700. Added to this are more than 3,200 injured and more than 51,000 missing due to the magnitude of the destruction in La Guaira, the epicenter of the disaster.

The emergency worsened on Monday with an aftershock of magnitude 4.6, according to the United States Geological Survey, recorded near Caraballeda. The movement was also felt strongly in Caracas, where numerous residents took to the streets for fear of new landslides. The Colombian Geological Service estimated the magnitude of the earthquake at 5.1.