Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 4,333 Two Weeks After Major Quakes
More than two weeks after two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on June 24, the official death toll has risen to 4,333 with 16,740 people injured, while rescue efforts continue amid ongoing aftershocks and a major humanitarian response in the Venezuela earthquake. [2]
Overview of the June 24 Earthquakes
The earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 devastated the coastal state of La Guaira near Caracas, collapsing hundreds of buildings and leaving 17,907 people without homes. [2] Specialists described the event as one of the most important seismic episodes recorded in Venezuela in more than a century and one of the most intense since the 1967 earthquake that severely affected Caracas. [2] [5] The double quake struck the north of the country and produced a panorama of devastation with dozens of buildings collapsed, especially in La Guaira, a coastal population neighboring Caracas. [2] The double earthquake of Venezuela is the most deadly that the country has experienced in the last century. [5]
Rising Casualties and Rescue Operations
The earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 devastated the coastal state of La Guaira near Caracas, collapsing hundreds of buildings and leaving 17,907 people without homes. [2] A new official report raised the number of fatal victims to 4,333. [2] The figure of Venezuelans killed because of the earthquakes of the past June 24 rose this Saturday to 4,333, reported the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez. [2] Venezuela added another 229 dead on Friday to reach at least 4,118 fatalities from the devastating earthquakes of the past June 24, while the number of injured remains at 16,740. [2] A previous official report raised the number of deceased to 3,889. [2] An earlier report indicated that 6,462 people have been rescued, a figure that remains unchanged since the previous Thursday. [2] The number of people without housing remains at 17,907 and the number of families attended reaches 86,794. [2]
Rescue teams search rubble in La Guaira after deadly magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes in Venezuela. — Source: gdelt
Aftershocks and Continued Seismic Activity
A total of 1,171 aftershocks have been recorded, including a magnitude 3.9 tremor on July 10 that caused panic and building evacuations in Caracas but no additional reported casualties. [2] According to the official balance, 1,171 aftershocks have occurred since June 24, among them the one of magnitude 3.9 that shook zones of the north of the country on Friday without damages or victims reported up to the moment. [2] The tremor of magnitude 3.9 was registered at 10:53 local time at a depth of 5.5 kilometers, 10 kilometers northeast of Naiguatá in the state of La Guaira. [3] [4] [5] The new tremor generated panic in Venezuela after the earthquake, with dozens of people descending from commercial buildings in Caracas. [3] Users on social networks reported evacuations of buildings in sectors such as La Candelaria, Los Ruices, Plaza Venezuela or Chacao in Caracas. [3] [4] [5] A Venezuelan doctor confirmed the discovery of his partner after the earthquakes, writing that he had found the body of model Yordy Paredes Castro who lost his life during the earthquakes registered on June 24 in the state of La Guaira. [3]
Displacement, Shelters and Humanitarian Aid
The government has established 89 temporary camps housing over 14,600 displaced people, distributed thousands of tons of food and millions of liters of water, and deployed more than 30,000 security personnel along with nearly 30,000 volunteers and international rescuers. [2] A total of 14,634 people are lodged in 87 temporary camps that were enabled by the Government of Venezuela. [2] The state most devastated by the earthquakes, La Guaira, registers the greatest concentration of citizens under shelter with 8,613 people distributed in 26 camps. [2] In Caracas 39 temporary camps have been activated with a total capacity of 11,192 places of which 4,961 are occupied by the affected. [2] In the state of Miranda 22 camps remain operative with an installed capacity for 2,003 places, lodging at the moment 1,060 people. [2] The balance signals that 17,266 people are found in a total of 89 temporary camps. [2] The government assured that 9,766 tons of food have been distributed as well as 13.9 million liters of water. [2] There are 30,076 military and security forces personnel deployed and 29,843 registered volunteers. [2] There are also 3,931 international rescuers. [2]
Venezuelan doctor locates his partner after deadly June 24 earthquakes in La Guaira. — Source: gdelt
Infrastructure Damage and Recovery Plans
Damage assessments show 856 buildings affected including 190 collapsed, with 432 schools and 38 hospitals damaged in Caracas; a biometric census of those who lost housing is underway and a reconstruction plan called Venezuela Renace has been launched. [2] The balance maintains at 856 the number of affected buildings and at 190 the number of collapsed ones. [2] At least 38 hospitals and 432 schools have suffered damages in Caracas after the double earthquake. [2] Venezuela will carry out a biometric census of the people who lost their housing because of the earthquakes, informed the acting president Delcy Rodríguez. [2] The registration will be carried out through a fingerprint reader system in the temporary camps. [2] The Government of Venezuela put into march the plan “Venezuela Renace” oriented to the recovery of collapsed and affected housing. [2] The program contemplates the simultaneous intervention of buildings in Caracas and in several regions of the country with the objective of facilitating the safe return of families to their homes. [2] The plan mobilizes technical teams integrated by workers, engineers, architects and students in coordination with public institutions. [2]
Vulnerable Populations and International Concerns
The UNFPA warned that 36,700 pregnant women were affected, including 4,000 expected to give birth in the coming month, prompting an appeal for $10 million in aid for reproductive health services. [2] Some 36,700 women affected by the powerful double earthquake that devastated the north of Venezuela are pregnant and some 4,000 will give birth in the next month amid the grave humanitarian emergency that the country lives, alerted the United Nations Population Fund. [2] The agency has made a call to donors to raise 10 million dollars in order to guarantee vital interventions of reproductive health and protection during the first three months of the emergency response. [2] Relatives of political prisoners in Venezuela signaled that the authorities have abandoned these detainees after the double earthquake of magnitude on the past June 24 that affected the north zone of the country, with the deterioration in feeding and the lack of attention to some of the structures that suffered damages because of the disaster. [2]
What to watch next: Officials continue search and rescue tasks while a new aftershock of magnitude 3.9 near Naiguatá prompts further building evacuations in Caracas sectors, and the biometric census in the 89 temporary camps proceeds alongside distribution of additional food and water supplies. [2] [3]
