Venezuelan earthquake death toll hits at least 920 as US rescuers race against critical survival window

Three days after the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, the death toll has climbed to at least 920, with more than 3,300 injured and tens of thousands still missing.

Rescue operations have continued since the 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck the northern shore of the country on Wednesday, with authorities saying 243 people have been saved so far.

American search and rescue teams from Virginia, California and Florida were dispatched to Venezuela on Friday, joining the effort to pull people out of collapsed buildings.

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Anthony Marrone, the Los Angeles County fire chief, told The New York Times that local fire units from Los Angeles County and Fairfax County, Virginia, are the only ones in the United States trained to work abroad.

The Los Angeles County team is 73-strong and brought with them concrete-busting machines, listening devices to hear people trapped under rubble and a myriad of other equipment to aid in the ongoing humanitarian effort.

The State Department is leading the federal response to the earthquakes, according to U.S. Southern Command.

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“Day or night, the [Department of War] is moving critical life-saving equipment to Venezuela,” U.S. Southern Command said in a Friday night post. The post included several pictures of a heavy construction vehicle hauling large boxes of supplies.

Even with all the assistance coming from the United States — which has pledged $150 million to emergency aid — and international organizations, Venezuelans have reported that their government has not had a robust response to the earthquakes.

Locals told The Associated Press that they’ve seen few state rescue teams in the hardest-hit areas. According to aid agencies, the first 48 to 72 hours is the most crucial window to retrieve people alive.

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On Friday night, Venezuelan authorities said they would begin blocking access to La Guaira — where the worst destruction occurred — so search teams can operate without getting hampered by citizens.

According to the AP, officials said anyone who wants to enter now will have to get permits, though they did not explain who would be eligible for one.

This move from the state comes after locals have been taking the search for their missing loved ones into their own hands.

Nazareth Jimenez, who lives in the state of La Guaira, just north of Caracas, said she had to watch as her neighbors used hammers and power tools to try to cut through the concrete of an apartment building.

She stood by and waited to see if her siblings, nephews, nieces and friends would emerge alive.

“We’re making a call for help to the government and countries across the world,” Jimenez told the AP. “There are still people alive in there.”

The Venezuelan government, led by acting President Delcy Rodriguez, has distributed food and water to survivors in La Guaira, but residents still say it has not been enough.

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The earthquakes pose a great challenge to Rodriguez, the former vice president whose governing coalition took shape after the United States mounted an operation that captured and deposed then-President Nicolás Maduro.

Rodriguez’s leadership will be tested during this crisis, as well as the legitimacy of her government, given that she was not elected to the presidency and has not given any timetable on when elections will be held.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.