Venezuela earthquake live: Dozens of UK search and rescue teams deployed as death toll nears 1,000

Venezuela earthquake live: Dozens of UK search and rescue teams deployed as death toll nears 1,000 Two powerful earthquakes rocked northern Venezuela on Wednesday night - at least 920 people have been confirmed dead so far, with the figure expected to rise as tens of thousands are missing A British search and rescue team has been deployed to Venezuela as the death toll from the double earthquake has surged to nearly 1,000. The team of 68 - made up of personnel from fire brigades across the country - left RAF Brize Norton on Friday along with six specialist search dogs and humanitarian staff. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "My thoughts are with the people of Venezuela following this week's devastating earthquakes. "The UK stands in solidarity with all those affected, particularly those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods." Heartbroken families have taken the search for missing loved ones into their own hands after claiming rescue teams are nowhere to be seen in the wake of two devastating earthquakes. At least 920 people have died and thousands more left injured after Venezuela was rocked by two devastating earthquakes on Wednesday night - with the figure expected to rise significantly as around 50,000 remain missing. Over 8,000 people have been found alive. Footballer Héctor Bello, a defender for second division side Marítimo de La Guaira, lost his wife Andrea when she heroically used her body as a human shield to save her daughter's life. He wrote on social media: "You left us alone in the fight, mummy. You left me all alone with our daughter." Mum-of-three Dayana Delgado, who is searching for her missing 8-year-old son, said: "I want to know where my child is, if he’s trapped or in a shelter." She said she had not seen any of the 'heavy machinery' that authorities had promised - and that she and her neighbours were the ones digging through crumpled buildings. Venezuelan president Delcy Rodriguez today insisted workers are doing all they can to save lives, telling reporters: "We are going to rescue the people who are trapped. We are working tirelessly on this task." A 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit west of Moron on the Caribbean coast, about 105 miles west of the capital Caracas, at around 6pm local time (11pm BST) on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said. Less than a minute later, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck, with its epicentre 10 miles south-west of Moron. Footage posted on social media showed vehicles shaking, smoke filling the streets and buildings badly damaged or collapsed due to the tremors. Key Events US Southern Command “stands with the people of Venezuela” it said after its personnel and the US Chargé d’Affaires in the country met Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez. Southern Command, whi ch oversees US military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, posted a photo of the meeting on X on Friday local time. The US is “rapidly surging critical capabilities to support earthquake relief operations and help save lives,” at the request of Venezuela, it added. President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Dinorah Figuera, took to X to write: "The earthquakes that have occurred in our country have left irreparable human losses. We extend our solidarity to all the affected families and express our gratitude for the collaboration provided by the government of the United States of America. "We are in direct contact with their authorities and with the Department of State, who are accompanying us during these most painful hours for everyone. God bless Venezuela." Football fans across the globe have reacted with outrage after a minute's silence to honor victims of the devastating Venezuela earthquake was marred by shouts and jeers from the crowd during Friday's World Cup matches. The tributes were held before kick-off in the Group H games between Spain and Uruguay, and Cape Verde against Saudi Arabia, as well as the earlier Group I fixtures. However, the solemn moment was disrupted during the Spain-Uruguay match in Guadalajara by individuals yelling and making noise, prompting an immediate backlash on social media from viewers around the world. "Everyone who yelled during the minute of silence should receive a lifetime ban," one furious fan wrote on Twitter, using the hashtags #Mundial, #WorldCup and #FifaWorldCup. "Do people not know how to have a minute of SILENCE??" A mother displaced by the Venezuelan earthquakes described the turmoil her family faced as they fled their home, fearing it would collapse around them, reports CNN. “My daughters were saying to me, ‘Mom, get me out of here, we do not want to die here,’” Luz Marina Marcano told Reuters on Friday as she sat in a tent with her family. “I did not want to leave my house alone because criminals were breaking into homes… So my partner, who is a public servant, told me to come here and camp with my daughters because they would be safer here.” In the latest update on the aftermath of Wednesday’s earthquakes, the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, said that 13 hospitals were damaged across the country. Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced Wednesday night that she had ordered the entire hospital network, including both public and private facilities, to coordinate efforts to treat the injured. According to the latest figures, 3,360 people were injured in the disaster. The government has also reported at least 920 deaths nationwide, most of them in La Guaira, the hardest-hit state. King Charles and Queen Camilla have posted a message to the people of Venezuela, sending them their "most heartfelt condolences to all those affected by this terrible tragedy". Read the full story by clicking here. "Life-saving" equipment was loaded onto a RAF Voyager at Brize Norton earlier as a British search and rescue team embarked on their deployment to Venezuela. It included specialist drones to assess structural collapses. Minister for the Armed Forces, Louise Sandher-Jones MP, said: "Our Armed Forces have moved quickly to support the UK’s humanitarian response to the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, transporting specialist search and rescue personnel and equipment to assist life-saving efforts on the ground. "The RAF plays an important role in getting people and capabilities where they are needed most, and our Armed Forces stand ready to support humanitarian missions around the world alongside our international partners." In some of the worst-hit areas like La Guaira and Moron, hospitals are overflowing with the injured. Packed-out wards mean many patients are currently being treated outside on the streets, or in courtyards. Local medical workers are pleading for basic items - such as dressings, gloves, thermometers, and painkillers. Help is on the way for Venezuela tonight - but the days of rescue, recovery and rebuilding ahead are likely to be very testing for what was already a struggling nation. Hospitals are currently dealing with a massive surge in patients while battling disruptions to electricity and water supplies. And severe damage to the Simón Bolívar International Airport and major motorway networks has complicated the delivery of heavy rescue equipment and international aid. The coastal state of La Guaira, the hardest-hit "disaster zone" where more than 100 high-rise flats and buildings collapsed, is now under military control to manage security and aid. Others who survived the earthquake have been able to return home - but damage is widespread, even in buildings left standing. A rapid assessment by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has put the direct economic damage to Venezuela at $6.7billion (£5billion), coming at a time when the country was already dealing with a prolonged financial crisis. Venezuelan authorities have said 861 international volunteers from Mexico, the U.S., El Salvador, Switzerland, Colombia and beyond were working in Venezuela to provide aid and help with the rescue effort. Many more from other countries are expected in the coming hours and days, he added, while UN said 1,000 emergency responders in 25 search and rescue teams from across the globe would be arriving in the country. The British Government is providing £2 million to help the emergency response, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said, along with the team of 68 rescue workers announced tonight. Keir Starmer has said the nation 'stands in solidarity' with Venezuela as he confirmed a team of 68 rescue workers have been sent to help with the emergency response. The team, made up of personnel from fire brigades across the country, flew out RAF Brize Norton on Friday. Six specialist search dogs and humanitarian staff were also on board. The Prime Minister said: "My thoughts are with the people of Venezuela following this week's devastating earthquakes. "The UK stands in solidarity with all those affected, particularly those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods." A UK Emergency Medical Team is also being dispatched to prepare for a further deployment. Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed in La Guaira state. Forty-eight hours after two earthquakes rocked northen Venezuela, thousands of people remain missing. Natacha Diaz is holding out hope that her two daughters - aged 22 and 23 - will be found after the shopping centre where they worked in La Guaira collapsed in the earthquakes, the BBC reports. "I just want them to be found. I have faith and hope that they are there," she told the broadcaster. "I just want them back with me. They are all I have, please." A 'moment's silence' has been held for the victims of the Venezuela earthquake before kick-off at the Norway vs France World Cup match tonight. Players gathered around the centre circle, and the gesture appeared to be mostly well observed by the 64,000 fans at the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The death toll from the quakes in Venezuela has risen to at least 920, with 3,360 injured, authorities said.The new figures were announced by Jorge Rodriguez, president of the country's National Assembly.The toll is likely to go higher as search-and-rescue operations continue. Many families say their loved ones are still buried under the rubble."Each person saved is a miracle," Rodriguez said. Photographs emerging from Venezuela today show the lengths people are going to in their bids to rescue friends, family and neighbours - as doubts grow over whether the authorities have the resources needed to save all those trapped. This image shows one man searching for missing relatives in the city of La Guaira after the block of flats they lived in collapsed. While disaster response experts say the 'golden window' for rescuing trapped people can last up to 72 hours, the vast majority of successful rescues occur within the first 24 to 48 hours. The embassy - which is on the 11th floor of an office tower in the north east of Caracas - has been closed after being damaged in the earthquake. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “The British embassy building sustained some damage during the earthquake and is not currently in use. “Alternative arrangements have been made to allow embassy staff to continue working safely. “Staff in Caracas and the UK continue to work round the clock to support our response to the earthquake.” The UN human rights mission in Venezuela has called on the government to lift restrictions on social media, saying people need timely access to potentially life-saving information. Access to X has been blocked in Venezuela since August 2024, when President Nicolás Maduro ordered the platform restricted following the disputed presidential election. The wife of Venezuelan footballer Héctor "Kike" Bello has died after reportedly shielding the couple's one-year-old daughter when their apartment building collapsed. Local reports said their daughter survived and was rescued from the rubble. Bello later paid tribute to his wife on social media, describing her as their "hero" and promising to make sure their daughter grows up knowing how her mother sacrificed her life to save her. The British embassy in Caracas has been damaged and temporarily closed, the Foreign Office has confirmed. A spokesperson said the embassy building sustained damage and is "not currently in use", with alternative arrangements made to allow staff to continue working safely. The Foreign Office said all UK staff have been accounted for and there have been no reports of any British nationals being killed or injured. International rescue teams and humanitarian aid continue to arrive in Venezuela. State television showed rescue workers and supplies from Chile arriving at a military base in Aragua state, while Switzerland sent a team of 80 specialists, eight search dogs and emergency aid. Turkey has also announced it will send military, medical and rescue personnel, alongside two search dogs, while El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Mexico have already deployed rescue teams and assistance. Leaders in Qatar, Brazil, Spain, Portugal and Canada have also pledged support. The number of people killed by Venezuela's devastating double-earthquakes has risen to 589, the country's acting president has announced. The increased death toll is more than double the 235 casulties reported yesterday. A further 2,980 people have been injured in the quakes, while tens of thousands remain missing. "We are going to rescue the people who are trapped," President Delcy Rodriguez announced today. "We are working tirelessly on this task." Residents have described the devastation left behind by the earthquakes, with many returning to find homes reduced to rubble. In La Guaira, Cristian Carreno said he watched his charred apartment building lean precariously to one side after the quakes. "I lost everything," he said. "There are people still inside, I imagine, that couldn't get out. It's incredibly devastating." More foreign nationals have been confirmed among those killed in the Venezuela earthquake. Spain's foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, said the number of Spanish nationals confirmed dead has risen to three, while 99 remain missing. Brazil's foreign ministry has confirmed the deaths of one Brazilian man and one Brazilian woman, while Chinese state media, citing the country's embassy in Caracas, said two Chinese nationals have died. Italian media, citing the foreign ministry, reported that an Italian-Venezuelan citizen has also died, while Portugal's foreign ministry says nine Portuguese nationals have been killed. Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that an Italian-Venezuelan citizen has died following the earthquakes in Venezuela. The victim, who was born in Caracas in 1970 and had relatives in Italy, was killed when a building collapsed in La Guaira, around 30km from the capital, Caracas. The woman rescued from beneath the rubble has described how she clung to a doorframe as the earthquakes brought her building crashing down, the BBC reports. Speaking moments after she was pulled to safety in La Guaira, Graciela Mora said: "When the earthquake started, I clung as tightly as I could to the doorframe, so tightly that I broke my finger." She said she held on "until all the floors collapsed" before rescuers reached her and pulled her to safety.