As rescue crews seek for survivors following two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela overnight on Wednesday, members of Canada’s Venezuelan community say they’re relieved family members are secure, but frightened about what comes next.
A minimum of 188 people have died and lots of more have been injured after 7.2 and seven.5 magnitude earthquakes struck parts of the country, causing widespread damage in a few of the most densely populated areas.
Luis Hernandez, owner of a Venezuelan café called Pomarosa in Toronto, said his first concern was reaching members of the family back home.
“It was an enormous surprise. I used to be very concerned because I actually have family living in Venezuela,” Hernandez said. “The very first thing I did was try contacting them.”
Hernandez said roughly 10 relatives, including six of his siblings live in Caracas.
Regardless that they’re unharmed, he worries the true scale of the disaster may not yet be known.
“It might be 1000’s of those that we don’t even find out about yet,” he said.
Hernandez added that many Venezuelans have a tough time counting on official government information.
“The one technique to communicate with people is using social media, relatives and friends telling us what’s happening,” he said.
“Today half of our customers are asking us, ‘Is all the pieces OK? Is your loved ones OK?’”
For café worker Jennyfer Chirinos, the earthquakes strike especially near home.
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Her mother arrived in Caracas on Tuesday — just at some point before the quakes hit.
“We’re completely satisfied she got there secure,” Chirinos said. “All my family resides there and immediately they’re OK.”
Chirinos said she was shocked by the disaster and frightened about how damaged infrastructure could affect travel.
“My father was speculated to come tomorrow, however the flight was cancelled,” she said. “For now, he needs to remain there because there isn’t any option to come back.”
She said members of the family at the moment are waiting for authorities to supply more details about conditions on the bottom.
Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations are also preparing for what might be a lengthy recovery effort.
Emergency responders in Venezuela are focused on search-and-rescue operations, medical care and transporting injured people to hospitals, said Kelsey Lemon, vice-president of international cooperation with the Canadian Red Cross.
“Last night there have been two devastating earthquakes in probably the most populated areas of Venezuela,” Lemon said in an interview with Global News.
The organization is working with teams on the bottom to find out what support is required and the way Canada will help, she added.
“We are saying the primary 24-48 hours is search and rescue, then after that’s finding shelter, food, water.”
Among the many supplies able to be deployed are hygiene kits, solar lights and other emergency essentials. The Red Cross can also be preparing personnel who might be sent to help.
“We expect a protracted road to recovery,” Lemon added.
Authorities said rescue efforts remain underway in a few of the hardest-hit areas, where buildings collapsed and individuals are believed to stay trapped beneath the rubble.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Mark Carney offered his “sincere condolences to the family members of those that were lost.
“My thoughts are with everyone who has been injured or displaced and with the primary responders working tirelessly to save lots of lives.”
Video shared online appeared to indicate dozens of individuals, some lying on the bottom and others on hospital beds, being treated outside a hospital in La Guaira.
– With files from The Canadian Press
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