Venezuela earthquakes leave nearly 200 dead as South Florida organization prepares to send aid
A South Florida based organization is rushing to gather aid and supplies to send to Venezuela after powerful back-to-back earthquakes left at least 188 people dead and 1,500 people injured on Wednesday – and those numbers are expected to rise.
Doral-based Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) announced that it has activated its emergency response for communities devastated by the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes west of Caracas.
GEM officials said volunteers and staff are assembling and preparing life-saving humanitarian aid at the Miami-Dade headquarters including food, water, hygiene supplies, medical necessities and other emergency relief items to be shipped to the devastated South American nation starting on Thursday.
GEM said that on-site team members are expected to be on the ground in the area starting on Friday. GEM is asking for donations to help with their aid mission, and you can do so by clicking here.
Jorge Perez said he's still trying to account for his childhood friends in Venezuela after the two historic earthquakes hit the South American country.
"The ones that I've spoke to they're ok," he said. "Two are missing but we think they're ok. It's just that there's no phone service."
Perez said his home country is already going through enough.
"Venezuela already is completely without resources and the infrastructure is so deteriorated that this couldn't have come at a worse possible time," Perez said
He sits on the executive board of GEM, which has been gathering supplies that will be shipped down to help those in need. They're partnering with the "I love Venezuela" organization, which is glad to see such a rapid response.
"Venezuelans have had enough. For all these years so I think people wanna help with their souls," said Santi Chumaceiro, of I Love Venezuela.
GEM executive board member Francine Delarosa said cash donations have rolled in as well. She said the organization already got $170,000 as of Wednesday night.
"This came out of nowhere," she said. "You have people that were getting ready to have dinner, haven't been able to return to their homes. There's tons of missing people. We're still really assessing the direct need. GEM always quickly sends need in the aftermath of a disaster."
Flights from Miami to Caracas canceled on Thursday
Because of the powerful earthquakes, which struck just seconds apart on Wednesday, American Airlines has canceled flights to and from Caracas on Thursday.
Two flights were scheduled to depart on Thursday for Caracas from Miami International Airport, which have since been canceled.
In addition, a flight that was expected to depart Caracas for Miami has also been canceled.
The deadly earthquakes in Venezuela heavily damaged the country's main airport – Simón Bolívar International Airport, forcing officials to shut it down.
Nearly 200 dead, 1,500 injured in Venezuela earthquakes
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said early Thursday that at least 1188 people were dead and 1,500 injured after a pair of powerful quakes rocked Venezuela.
She had earlier put the death toll from the Wednesday night quakes at 32, but said it was expected to rise as rescuers searched collapsed buildings and emergency crews worked to access devastated areas.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquakes had magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5.
The agency estimated the powerful earthquakes in Venezuela could have killed thousands of people, with a 42% chance of at least 10,000 fatalities, though that is based on historical averages and does not take into account many factors specific to this event.