Carcas, July 4: Tens of thousands of people remain missing in northern Venezuela after consecutive 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes caused catastrophic damage, killing 2,645 people and injuring 12,666 others. A large-scale international and domestic relief operation is underway to navigate the destruction and assist survivors.
According to figures from the National Assembly, the physical toll of the disaster includes 189 collapsed buildings and nearly 900 damaged structures. A network of 59 temporary camps has been quickly assembled to house families who lost their homes in the tremors.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a seven-day period of official mourning across the nation to honor the victims. The decree took effect immediately following her public announcement regarding the scale of the tragedy.
“In honour of the memory of the victims, I have decided to decree National Mourning for seven days,” Rodríguez declared. “Venezuela’s soul is torn by the human losses caused by the devastating earthquakes.”
The active rescue zone is currently supported by 3,305 international specialists who joined 29,567 local emergency personnel. This combined force is dealing with a highly unstable environment, as seismologists have logged 890 aftershocks since the primary quakes on June 24.
The emergency command center confirmed that field teams have managed to rescue 6,462 people from damaged sites. Relief distribution networks have also expanded their reach, providing essential resources to 86,117 impacted families during the initial phase of the recovery effort.
