Venezuela quake toll climbs to 1,430 fatalities, with 3,238 people hurt

The earthquake death toll in Venezuela has climbed to a minimum of 1,430 people, according to Jorge Rodríguez, the President of the country's National Assembly, who disclosed this information on Saturday.

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Rodríguez also revealed that at least 3,238 individuals have suffered injuries and 3,142 families have been left without homes, while the country has experienced a minimum of 430 aftershocks following the two main earthquakes.

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The twin earthquakes, which had magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck Venezuela on Wednesday, causing devastation in the coastal area surrounding La Guaira.

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Due to a lack of government rescue teams, Venezuelans in the hardest-hit areas have resorted to digging through rubble with their hands, as aid agencies warned that the critical 72-hour survival window was rapidly closing.

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A senior official in the administration of President Donald Trump stated that there are currently "great communications" with the interim authorities in Venezuela, both politically and militarily, in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

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The official noted that the US has a unique relationship with the interim authorities and is working closely with them to address needs and establish logistics, adding that one of the runways at Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas was operational as of Saturday morning.

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This operational runway has allowed for an increase in assistance, with the official crediting US coordination with the interim Venezuelan government, while the other runway remains "completely cracked and inoperable".

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According to the official, mobile hospitals are arriving, the US is working to provide more Starlink terminals to Venezuela, and a further surge of humanitarian supplies is planned, in addition to two 80-person US search and rescue teams that have helped find survivors in the rubble.

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When asked about reports of restricted access to some of the hardest-hit areas, the official attributed it to a communication issue, stating that "a big coordination problem has obviously been the airfields".

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The official explained that multiple groups from around the world are trying to land at the same airfield, making it challenging to coordinate and obtain a clear picture of available air assets and ground logistics.

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The official also mentioned that the USS Fort Lauderdale is now in position, enabling the airlifting of people to use the medical facilities on the vessel as necessary, as well as utilizing it for command and control of logistics and airlift operations.