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Search continues as death toll climbs in Venezuela
Venezuelans took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands Friday in the aftermath of back-to-back earthquakes, citing the scarcity of government rescuers, as the human toll of the disaster climbed to at least 920 dead and more than 51,000 missing.
A nine-month-old infant and the child’s mother were saved from the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela by members of a Virginia search and rescue team who are there trying to save lives after a pair of devastating earthquakes.
Since its arrival, the Virginia Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue has posted powerful videos and images of the life-saving work its members are doing alongside local firefighters.
The audible cries in one of the videos of an infant who was trapped in a collapsed building being lifted from the rubble to safety highlight the importance of what they are accomplishing.
Saving the mother
A second video shows the child’s mother on a stretcher as rescuers pass her over mounds of debris to take her to an ambulance below.
One of the posts by the Task Force described how the mother and her baby were deeply entombed in the building, but were located and brought to safety, having suffered only minor injuries. It ended with the words, "This is our why… the delivery of hope."
What they're saying:
"Against impossible odds, hope endures. 🇺🇸," the U.S. State Department wrote when sharing the video of the infant being saved. "American search and rescue teams rescued an infant from beneath the rubble following the earthquake in Venezuela. Every life saved is a victory."
The White House reposted the State Department’s video with its own tribute, writing, "America at its best. Thank you to the American search and rescue teams providing assistance in Venezuela. 🇺🇸"
RELATED: See the photos: Before and after satellite images show aftermath of deadly earthquakes in Venezuela
What's next:
The team members continue trying to locate others who are trapped in buildings. In a recent post, they explained how they stayed in contact with one person for more than 12 hours as crews worked to save that person.
"Our members remain on the ground, working alongside our international partners, committed to the mission and continuing the search for those still in need," the Task Force wrote.
The backstory:
The Urban Search and Rescue Team, which operates out of Fairfax County, Virginia, is routinely dispatched to major disasters in the U.S. and abroad. Its members were deployed to help in 2023 when earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria. They answered the call in 2021 after an earthquake in Haiti. In the U.S., they have assisted in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Florida and the 2020 wildfires in Oregon.
Big picture view:
The two earthquakes, which measured at 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes and struck within 45 seconds of each other, have turned into one of the greatest natural disasters Venezuela has faced in decades. On Sunday, authorities reported that 1,450 had died and thousands more were injured or still missing.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from the Virginia Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue, the U.S. State Department, the White House, and The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.