'I have several friends that are still missing': Milwaukee man waits for word after deadly Venezuela earthquakes
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The death toll continues to climb after two powerful earthquakes rocked Venezuela this week, leaving hundreds dead and thousands more missing.
For one Milwaukee man, the disaster is deeply personal as he waits for news from family and friends still in the country.
Francisco Mohamed, owner of Arepanitas in Milwaukee, left Venezuela 11 years ago. But his parents, relatives and many friends still live there, and he says he is now watching the devastation unfold from afar.
Mohamed said, “I have several friends that are still missing. One of my childhood friends is dead.”
Hundreds of people have been killed, with the death toll expected to rise as search efforts continue. Authorities say thousands more are believed to still be missing in areas hit hardest by the quakes.
Mohamed said he first heard from his father shortly after the quake struck.
“I received a call from my father telling me that he feels the movement of the earth and felt the earthquake alone at home,” Mohamed said.
As rescue crews continue working through collapsed buildings, Mohamed said some of the most distressing accounts are coming directly from survivors still trapped in the rubble.
“A lot of people are still trapped and asking for help, yelling, ‘Hey, we need help!’ but you cannot move the concrete, it's not possible,” Mohamed said.
He also pointed to what he described as long-standing instability in the country as compounding the crisis.
“We used to have a communist government that stole everything from us. So, in moments like this, you can see we are not prepared,” Mohamed said.
More than two dozen international search and rescue teams have arrived in Venezuela to assist local crews searching for survivors.
For Mohamed, the uncertainty continues as he hopes for positive news.
“We're crossing our fingers that all my relatives and my friends that are still missing appear,” Mohamed said.