Venezuela is facing one of the deadliest natural disasters in its modern history as rescue teams continue searching for survivors after twin powerful earthquakes devastated parts of the country, killing more than 1,430 people and leaving tens of thousands unaccounted for.
The back-to-back earthquakes, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck on June 24, with the epicentre located about 160 kilometres west of the capital, Caracas.
The powerful tremors caused widespread destruction across coastal La Guaira state and parts of Caracas, flattening buildings, damaging critical infrastructure and trapping thousands beneath collapsed structures.
According to Reuters, more than 1,600 foreign rescuers from countries including the United States, Argentina and El Salvador have arrived in Venezuela to support increasingly desperate search-and-rescue operations.
International teams equipped with heavy machinery, search dogs and medical supplies are working alongside local emergency workers and volunteers, many of whom spent days digging through rubble with little equipment in hopes of finding survivors.
Authorities say more than 55,000 people remain missing, although officials caution that many may be unreachable because of communication failures rather than buried under debris.
Hospitals have been overwhelmed by thousands of injured victims, while power outages, damaged roads and disrupted telecommunications continue to hamper relief efforts.
Residents in affected areas have been sleeping outdoors because of persistent aftershocks and fears that weakened buildings could collapse.
The New York Times reported that rescue workers are racing against the critical 72-hour window during which people trapped beneath collapsed buildings have the greatest chance of survival.
Families have gathered outside ruined apartment blocks, hospitals and emergency shelters, anxiously awaiting news of missing relatives as rescue crews continue to remove debris.
BBC News reported that international humanitarian organisations have begun delivering emergency food, water, shelter materials and medical assistance, while governments across the region and beyond have pledged financial and logistical support.
The United Nations has warned that the scale of destruction could place enormous pressure on Venezuela's already fragile infrastructure and healthcare system.
The disaster has also intensified political scrutiny of the government's emergency response as aid continues to flow into the country. Officials have restricted access to some of the worst-hit areas to facilitate rescue operations, while security forces have been deployed to maintain order.
With aftershocks continuing and thousands still feared trapped or missing, rescuers say every passing hour reduces the chances of finding more survivors alive, making the coming days crucial for Venezuela's largest rescue operation in decades.