American killed in Venezuela earthquakes, State Department says

At least one American is believed to have been killed in the back-to-back earthquakes that hit Venezuela this week.

“We do know and we can confirm one report of an American that has been killed, that has lost their life after this earthquake,” State Department spokesperson Mignon Houston told Scripps News. “We are working close with their family after this tragic situation.”

The person’s name and hometown have not been released.

The death toll from Wednesday’s 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes is approaching 600, according to officials in Venezuela, and is expected to rise as thousands remain missing.

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“We are going to rescue the people who are trapped,” acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Friday. “We are working tirelessly on this task.”

Rodríguez also appealed to businesses Thursday to make heavy construction equipment available for rescue operations.

“We hope to rescue as many living people as possible,” Rodríguez said.

While Venezuela sits near multiple fault lines, its position straddling the South American and Caribbean plates makes strong earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.