More than 100 people who were recently deported from the United States are missing after earthquakes struck Venezuela and caused a hotel where they were being held to collapse. According to survivors, a scramble is underway to find those buried in the rubble.
Key Takeaways
More than 100 Venezuelan deportees are missing after earthquakes struck their hotel in La Guaira. A deportation flight from Miami arrived hours before the quakes, carrying 146 people including women and children.
- Over 100 deportees unaccounted for after Venezuela earthquakes
- Deportation flight carried 146 Venezuelans to Caracas hours before disaster
- Survivors describe escaping collapsed hotel in La Guaira
- Venezuelan government reports over 1,700 fatalities from the quakes
Source Claims Check
High Consensus| Claim | Status | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number Of Deportees On Flight | Broad Agreement | 146 Venezuelans including women and children | |
| Hotel Location | Broad Agreement | Hotel in La Guaira | |
| Earthquake Magnitude | Broad Agreement | 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes | |
| Fatalities Reported By Venezuelan Government | Broad Agreement | More than 1,700 people killed |
A deportation flight from Miami arrived in Caracas hours before Wednesday's 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes. On board were 146 Venezuelans, including 19 women and seven children, as tracked by ICE Flight Monitor, an initiative of Human Rights First that monitors deportation flights.
The deportees were transported to a hotel in La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquakes. Lisbeth Portillo, 58, recounted escaping the rubble with about 20 other deportees. They walked five kilometers seeking help and saw people running from the collapsed buildings, some naked and others barefoot.
The Venezuelan government has reported that more than 1,700 people were killed in the earthquakes. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not immediately respond to requests for information. Survivors described chaotic scenes as they tried to escape the collapsing hotel, with some trapped under debris.
Jenny Rodriguez, 24, told Telemundo that she was on the flight and taken to the hotel. She recounted being trapped under rubble until a colleague helped free her. Liliana Rojas has been trying to locate her 33-year-old partner who was deported but received no information from the detention center where he was held in El Paso, Texas.
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