Venezuela earthquake death toll surpasses 1,900
The death toll from the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela has exceeded 1,900, with rescuers still searching for survivors.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The death toll from the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela has surpassed 1,900, with rescuers still searching for survivors a week after the disaster. Two earthquakes struck within seconds of each other near the capital Caracas, along Venezuela's northern coast. One of the worst-hit areas is La Guaira. Satellite images show the destruction: buildings have collapsed and whole neighbourhoods have been destroyed. In the district of Los Cocos, each collapsed apartment block was home to 100 families. The death toll there alone could be over 1,000. Around 6,000 people have been rescued so far, including a young boy pulled from the debris by a Jordanian rescue team. However, tens of thousands remain missing. Volunteers are working with little equipment, often by hand. The UK's international search and rescue team is using acoustic equipment and a dog named Luna to check for signs of life. The United Nations is buying 10,000 body bags. Many Venezuelans express solidarity with each other but feel abandoned by their government.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The death toll from the earthquakes was reported as over 1,700, with later reports exceeding 1,900. | ||||
| Around 6,000 people had been rescued. | · | · | · | |
| The UK search and rescue team used acoustic equipment and a dog to find survivors. | · | · | · | |
| The United Nations was purchasing 10,000 body bags. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel provides a detailed on-the-ground report from La Guaira, focusing on the human tragedy, the scale of destruction, and the work of international rescue teams, including the UK team. It includes emotional interviews with survivors and criticism of the government's response. The tone is somber and factual, with a strong emphasis on the suffering and the slow pace of rescue efforts.
- “Rescuers are still searching for any survivors of the two earthquakes that hit Venezuela last week more than 1,900 people are now known to have died and tens of thousands are still missing”
- “We want to get our mother out of there and our niece Please help us We cannot take it anymore. I am begging you”
- “the United Nations says it is buying 10,000 body bags”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.