Venezuela's death toll rises to 1,943, a 3y infant rescued after 6 days

The death toll from the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week has risen to 1,943, National Assembly president Jorge Rodriguez said on Tuesday.

Recorded injuries, meanwhile, rose to 10,571, according to Rodriguez.

Jorge Rodriguez also said on Tuesday, "Rescue teams have saved 6,461 people in Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck.”

“The real figure was likely closer to 20,000, if taking into account thousands more people buried under the rubble in the hardest-hit La Guaira state who were able to get out on their own or with the help of friends and family,” he added.

“A three-year-old boy was rescued from the rubble in Caracas on Tuesday six days after the quakes,” a Jordanian rescue team said.

Video footage showed rescue workers cheering upon discovering the child, who had miraculously survived.

“The boy received first aid and was immediately taken to hospital,” the Jordanian civil defence said in a statement.

In other footage, rescue workers wiped the boy’s face with tissues and tucked him in with a blanket in an ambulance.

Experts said that the 72-hour window after an earthquake serves as the crucial window during which people trapped under debris have a chance of being rescued alive.

The infant’s vital signs were good, the Jordanian statement said, adding that local authorities had been informed of the rescue.

Last week’s 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude shocks, one of the worst earthquake disasters in Latin America, collapsed whole residential complexes, left tens of thousands missing and prompted frantic search-and-rescue operations for survivors trapped in the rubble.

Entire buildings were pulverised in La Guaira, an area north of the capital, Caracas, which also endured severe damage.