Venezuela earthquakes: Death toll rises to 589 as over 50,000 remain missing

The official death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela has more than doubled to 589 interim president Delcy Rodriguez said on Friday as rescuers continued searching for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings news agency AFP reportedRegrettably we now have 589 people who died Rodriguez said during a televised meeting with military and civilian officials The previous official toll stood at 235Meanwhile the United Nations warned that more than 50000 people remain missing with fears that the death toll could rise sharply in the coming daysIts a very very complex emergency response Tom Fletcher the UN UnderSecretaryGeneral for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator told AFPWeve got over 50000 people missing over 500 people dead so a massive job to go through the rubble he saidThe powerful 75 and 72magnitude earthquakes struck north of the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Wednesday causing widespread destructionIndia launches Operation Amistad amid mounting humanitarian crisisFletcher said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA which he heads was still unable to estimate how high the final death toll could climbHowever he warned that the number of fatalities was expected to increase significantlyBut 50000 people are missing Fletcher saidIts our job to find as many of them as possible and to keep that death toll as low as we can get it but its clearly going to rise significantlyThe twin earthquakes are among the deadliest disasters in the region in recent years Earthquakes of similar magnitude claimed more than 2 lakh lives in Haiti in January 2010 and around 73000 lives in Kashmir in October 2005India on Friday launched Operation Amistad to support earthquakehit Venezuela dispatching two Indian Air Force IAF C17 aircraft carrying a specialised Indian Army field hospital unit along with over 35 tonnes of relief supplies medicines and medical equipmentOperation Amistad India dispatches field hospital and relief suppliesAnnouncing the launch of Operation Amistad on X External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reaffirmed Indias commitment to assisting the people of Venezuela during the humanitarian crisisOperation Amistad underway Two IAF C17s tookoff today for Venezuela with urgent assistance to support their postearthquake relief efforts The assistance contains an Indian Army Field Hospital Unit and over 35 tons of relief supplies medicines and medical equipment including two BHISHM Cubes India is committed to support the Government and people of Venezuela in this difficult time Jaishankar posted on XThe relief package includes two BHISHM Cubesmdashstateoftheart indigenously developed rapidly deployable modular medical facilities designed for disaster and humanitarian responseComprising compact selfcontained medical modules the BHISHM Cube can be quickly assembled into a fully functional field hospital capable of providing advanced trauma care emergency surgeries intensive care support and essential medical treatment for up to 200 patients It is equipped with portable ventilators patient monitors diagnostic equipment surgical instruments power generation systems and oxygen support significantly enhancing Indias ability to provide rapid medical assistance during humanitarian crises worldwideEarlier in the day the Ministry of Defence said the Indian Army had dispatched a specialised medical contingent to Venezuela as part of the relief missionThe medical team from 60 Para Field Hospital departed in the afternoon of June 26 from Hindon Air Force Station and is currently en route to Venezuela aboard two Indian Air Force aircraft a Ministry of Defence spokesperson saidWith AFP and IANS inputs