Regina Garcia Cano, The Associated Press
Local and international rescue teams raced against the clock to pull survivors from the rubble in Venezuela on Sunday, four days after two powerful earthquakes shook the northern state of La Guaira.
The government reported 1,450 dead from the quakes Sunday afternoon as it faced growing criticism from Venezuelans that its response was inadequate and overshadowed by civilian-led efforts to rescue people buried under collapsed buildings. Thousands more have been reported missing.
The Associated Press journalist Regina Cano visited the scene in La Guaira where a mix of rescue teams and civilians on Sunday continued to search through the rubble.
She described seeing “rescuers from mostly other countries and dozens of Venezuelans working as fast as they can to find their loved ones.”
The government has reported on Sunday 1,450 have died from the quakes.
Thousands have been reported missing, according to multiple databases used by families searching for loved ones.
Even as the likelihood of finding people alive diminished with each passing hour, rescuers continued to free some survivors from mountains of debris, offering anguished families a sliver of hope.
The first 48 to 72 hours after a natural disaster are crucial to rescue efforts, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water.
More than 2,600 rescue workers from around the world had arrived by Sunday, the government said, noting that crews were being supported in their efforts by nearly 140 specially trained dogs.
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