Rescue teams in Venezuela continue to pull survivors from collapsed buildings three days after two powerful earthquakes struck the country, giving hope to families still searching for missing loved ones even as the death toll continues to rise.

One of the latest survivors, Daniel Cordero, was rescued Friday from the rubble of a collapsed building in the coastal city of Catia La Mar. Covered in blood, he was helped onto a stretcher by rescue workers as bystanders watched and recorded the dramatic rescue.

Authorities said at least 1,430 people have died following the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that hit on Wednesday. Thousands more have been injured, while tens of thousands remain missing. Officials warned the number of deaths is likely to increase.

Search operations continued Saturday, with local residents leading much of the effort alongside a growing number of international rescue teams. Disaster experts say the first 48 to 72 hours after an earthquake offer the best chance of finding survivors, although people can survive longer if they have access to food and water.

Across the hardest-hit areas, moments of joy have been mixed with deep grief.

Rescuers pulled a 4-year-old child and an elderly man alive from the rubble, drawing applause from crowds. But many families have also received confirmation that loved ones did not survive.

In La Guaira, Daritza Polo learned Friday that her mother had died in the earthquake.

"I have no words," she said.

Another heartbreaking scene unfolded when the bodies of siblings Leyder Rojas, 3, and Leymar Rojas, 10, were recovered from the rubble. Their grieving mother collapsed as relatives tried to comfort her. Their uncle, Ramón Eduardo, said the family was thankful that 4-year-old Adrián had been rescued alive.

"We got one alive, thank God," he said. "But not all of them."

Many families are still waiting for news.

Noribel Mendoza and her two sons, Andrés David Molina Mendoza, 21, and Ángel Eduardo Molina Mendoza, 19, have been missing since the apartment building where they lived in La Guaira collapsed.

Their aunt, Ángela Molina Castro, said the family still does not know whether they are trapped under the rubble, in a hospital or somewhere else.

Friends and neighbours have been trying to clear debris by hand because rescue equipment has not yet reached the site, she said.

"It's a tragedy that I'm living for the first time in my life," Molina Castro said.

For some families, there has been relief.

Ninoska Jarrin, who lives in Mexico City, spent two days trying to contact her father-in-law, Fernando Segundo Martínez Hernández, who lives in La Guaira. On Saturday morning, her husband finally spoke with him by phone.

"He's fine, thank God," she said.

Others continue to wait.

Flor María González has not heard from her daughter, Dilinyer Caroley Rada González, or her three young grandchildren since the apartment building where they lived collapsed.

Her other daughter remains at the disaster site, hoping rescuers will find them alive.

"We still have faith," González said.