Earthquakes in Venezuela have claimed more than 4,000 lives
In Venezuela, the death toll following two powerful earthquakes has exceeded 4,000. Rescue efforts continue in the wake of widespread destruction, and thousands of people are still missing.
The earthquakes were among the strongest in the country’s history and caused enormous damage to homes and infrastructure.
In Venezuela, more than 4,000 people died as a result of two strong earthquakes that occurred on June 24. Meanwhile, search operations and debris removal are still underway. According to Venezuelan Parliament Speaker Jorge Rodríguez, at least 4,118 people died as a result of the natural disaster, and another 16,740 were injured. “We continue to work to address the aftermath of the tragedy and assist those affected,” officials said.
The exact number of people still missing has not yet been disclosed. In late June, the United Nations reported that there could be as many as 50,000 such people. It is not yet known how many of them have been found. One of the earthquakes had a magnitude of 7.5—making it the strongest to hit Venezuela in over 100 years. It was preceded by another strong tremor with a magnitude of 7.2, which occurred 39 seconds earlier.
The disaster destroyed entire high-rise buildings. Rescue teams have completed the main phase of searching for people who may have survived under the rubble, but relatives of the deceased continue to search for their loved ones among the ruins on their own. A new wave of fear swept the country on July 10, when another earthquake, measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale, struck downtown Caracas. Due to the tremors, people were evacuated from buildings, and city residents began leaving their homes.
According to estimates by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, direct damage to housing and infrastructure in Venezuela from the earthquakes could amount to approximately $37 billion. Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, called for the unfreezing of the country’s assets abroad so that these funds can be used to rebuild devastated areas and assist those affected by the disaster.
The country’s authorities continue to assess the extent of the damage and organize recovery efforts following one of the worst natural disasters in Venezuela’s modern history, according to The Guardian.
Previously, the death toll in Venezuela rose following two powerful earthquakes—3,535 people were killed.
In Venezuela, a boy spent six days trapped under the rubble after the powerful earthquakes.
Two powerful earthquakes rocked Venezuela; there may be tens of thousands of victims.
Later, the death toll from the devastating earthquake in Venezuela rose.
