Families are still picking through the rubble in Venezuela. A weary-looking man searches for his wife in a heap of broken concrete – what was once an apartment block by the sea. Neighbours climb into a collapsed social housing complex to look for a nine-year-old girl. A cousin drives across the country on a motorcycle after days of his messages have gone unanswered. But ten days after the twin earthquakes hit the country on 24 June, the sombre realisation that there is only a slim chance of finding survivors hangs heavily above collapsed buildings, largely dotted along the coast north of Caracas.

So far 2,595 people have been confirmed dead. The final death toll is likely to be staggeringly higher. The UN said it has 10,000 body bags ready. Despite the grim figures, there are still signs of hope. Hernan Gil, a 43-year-old bodyguard, was rescued on Thursday, nine days after the disaster. But now, international rescue teams that have been searching for survivors are beginning to leave the country. The window for finding people alive is almost fully closed.

Along the coast, the smell of death lingers around damaged buildings

Along the coast, the smell of death lingers around damaged buildings

Along the coast, the smell of death lingers around damaged buildings. Thousands of families still haven’t heard from their loved ones. As hope begins to fade, anger and exhaustion have been rising. Many say help from the authorities arrived staggeringly late – in some cases days later and, sometimes, not at all. They were left alone, they say, using their bare hands to dig through concrete and mangled debris scattered with photographs, school books, pet........

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