“We are without tools”: residents demand heavy machinery to recover bodies in Venezuela
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
CATIA LA MAR – Residents of the coastal town of Catia La Mar, one of the areas hardest hit by Wednesday's earthquakes in Venezuela, demanded on Friday the dispatch of heavy machinery to recover bodies trapped under the rubble. In their desperation, they even blocked the path of one of these vehicles heading to another area, trying to keep it in place. The residents of Playa Grande angrily called for attention to their community. As of Friday morning, many residents continued to remove debris with their hands, sticks, shovels, picks, and hammers. Nearly 40 hours have passed, and according to reports to EFE, most of the bodies recovered have been found by the residents themselves. "We are without tools, in a very precarious situation. We need help with machinery and trained, professional personnel to please assist us. There are many bodies, and the smell is becoming unbearable," said José Ramírez, who is searching for his sister-in-law, trapped under a building. "We need all the help possible," he insisted. Ramírez added that so far they have only received humanitarian aid, such as food and drinks, from good Samaritans traveling from nearby Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. He expressed hope of finding his sister-in-law's body today, noting that he managed to reach the mattress where she was sleeping when the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck. "We need machinery to be able to get them out because how can we do it if we have nothing?" lamented Héctor Galindo, who is searching for his mother and two brothers. The residents of this area are tirelessly working to find their family members trapped in the rubble. Many are exposed to the elements, while others are in a shelter. Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, announced on Friday that the death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that shook the country has risen to 589, with 2,980 injured, while confirming that 214 aftershocks have already occurred.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
