South Florida continues aid effort for Venezuela as temporary morgue expands one week after deadly earthquakes

It's been one week since devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela,  and heartbreaking images continue to emerge from the disaster zone while South Florida's Venezuelan community remains committed to helping survivors.

New aerial footage from Venezuela shows hundreds of coffins lined up at the Port of La Guaira, where authorities have established a temporary morgue for earthquake victims. Additional videos show forensic agents working near bodies and grieving relatives moving through the port area in hopes of identifying their loved ones.

According to local media reports, the port was converted into an improvised morgue after hospital facilities in the region became overwhelmed by the number of fatalities.

Meanwhile, rescue operations continue.

Members of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Urban Search and Rescue Team, known as Florida Task Force 1, spent Tuesday searching through the rubble of collapsed buildings in Venezuela. The 80-member team is operating under the coordination of the U.S. Department of State and is using specially trained dogs in the search for survivors.

Although the critical 72-hour window for finding survivors alive has passed, many in Venezuela and South Florida refuse to lose hope.

In Doral, volunteers at the nonprofit organization Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) have been working around the clock, filling boxes with supplies destined for Venezuela.

Messages of encouragement are also being included in the shipments. One volunteer wrote, "You are a miracle," on a box being sent to the disaster-stricken nation.

GEM began collecting donations the day after the earthquakes and has mobilized more than 6,000 volunteers.

"I just feel like being away, it's not easy to just stay home and do nothing, so we try as much as we can to do something," said volunteer Valeria Colina.

South Florida residents have responded in large numbers to the call for help, but organization leaders say some items are in greater demand than others.

"One of the biggest things I say donate-wise is canned food and hygiene," said Billy Richardson, director of logistics for Global Empowerment Mission. "We are really needing shampoos, toothbrushes, toothpaste and canned foods – proteins, canned vegetables and canned fruits."

The nonprofit organization, located at 1850 N.W. 84th Avenue in Doral, will reopen to accept donations beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

However, GEM officials say they are no longer accepting clothing or bottled water and are asking donors to focus on nonperishable food items and hygiene products as relief efforts continue.