Venezuela rescue efforts grow desperate as death toll rises and aftershock rattles country

Amna Nawaz:

Venezuelans continued to search for loved ones trapped under debris and rubble, caused by the devastating back-to-back earthquakes five days ago.

And, today, the region experienced a 4.6-magnitude aftershock that rattled rescuers and residents in the disaster zone. The Venezuelan government estimates up to 1,700 people have died, but that number is expected to climb even higher.

Stephanie Sy has our report.

Stephanie Sy:

The gruff hands of rescuers cradle a newborn, seemingly oblivious to the ruins that surround him.

Baby Juan was trapped beneath concrete for 32 hours. Mom is pulled out moments later and carried to an ambulance, the baby's robust cries a relief. Five days after the earthquake struck, the search is on for miracles. The window for survivability without food or water is closing.

But, today, rescuers pulled this 21-year-old man from the rubble. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans are still missing. Ana Rada is searching for her sister.

Ana Rada, Sister (through interpreter):

Difficult, difficult, but looking forward. We must have faith, never losing hope. I'm here. They said there were signs of life, and I ran up here. I have faith. Until I see the body, I have faith.

Stephanie Sy:

Vladimir Moreno said the family was able to reach his sister, who is believed trapped. This rescue crew from Turkey is using thermal imaging equipment to detect signs of life.

Another team from the U.K. brought dogs to La Guaira, the hardest-hit state. They're specially trained search canines who can sniff out survivors. Last week's back-to-back earthquakes leveled entire blocks in La Guaira and damaged the country's international airport.

Venezuelans have organized volunteers to help distribute food and other essentials, growing from a few hundred volunteers to now 2,000.

Gil, Volunteer (through interpreter):

Life loses its meaning if we cannot help others. We should help those in need because no one knows if one day it might be us who need help.

Rafael Garcia, International Rescue Committee:

The national hospitals, we have seen numbers of being at over 800 percent capacity.

Stephanie Sy:

Rafael Garcia oversees the IRC's operations in Venezuela and Colombia.

Rafael Garcia:

From our side, we're already working with partners on the ground, providing, for example, access to medical support through mobile teams. They are reporting, and as you would expect in this kind of context, continued mass movement of people throughout the country out of the affected zones.

Stephanie Sy:

Tens of thousands are now homeless, sleeping in shelters.

Susana Saavedra, Quake Survivor (through interpreter):

The first thing I hope is they will help me and give me a place to live, because it's very uncomfortable to be like this, sleeping bad, wanting to cook my meals, prepare my things, and have my own room. That's what I'm hoping for, that they will help us and give us a place to live.

Stephanie Sy:

For now, the focus is still on search-and-rescue.

Rafael Garcia:

While the number of missing people is still on those levels of 40,000, 50,000, you just need to keep bringing the resources as much as possible. Like I mentioned before, we're still in the clock. They have been called off search-and-rescue operations.

More than two dozen international rescue teams have arrived or are heading to Venezuela. The U.S. has pledged $150 million worth of humanitarian assistance overseen by a two-star Marine general. And American search-and-rescue teams, including this group from Fairfax, Virginia, have been on the ground since last week.

Two days ago, their expertise paid off. Out of the remains of a building, they pulled this baby out. And, thankfully, it wouldn't stop crying.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Stephanie Sy.

Amna Nawaz:

Late today, the U.S. announced it's sending a military unit to Venezuela to assist key airports in facilitating humanitarian assistance.

And we also learned that more than 100 Venezuelans deported from the United States hours before the earthquake are reportedly missing after their hotel collapsed. According to Human Rights First, which monitors ICE deportation flights, 146 Venezuelans, including 19 women and seven children, were transported to a hotel in La Guaira last Wednesday just before the earthquake struck.