A deportation flight carrying 146 Venezuelans landed in Miami on Wednesday, just hours before the powerful earthquakes hit the coastal region. The migrants were housed in a hotel in La Guaira, which partially collapsed later. According to the Flight Monitor project of the Human Rights First, there were 19 women and seven children on board.
Lisbeth Portillo, 58, survived the collapse. She told the AP that she managed to escape the rubble along with about 20 other deportees. They then walked for miles to find help. Only at a National Guard building were they able to call relatives. Portillo said she was injured and in shock.
The Venezuelan government reports more than 1,700 deaths. The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimates in a model calculation that tens of thousands may have died. According to an unofficial platform, more than 45,000 people are considered missing. Search efforts are hampered by numerous aftershocks.
Source: www.spiegel.de
