BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS
The death toll from Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes has climbed to 2,954, as international search-and-rescue teams begin scaling back operations more than a week after the disaster struck the country’s northern coast. Officials say hopes of finding more survivors are rapidly fading as attention shifts from rescue to recovery.
The powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, struck on June 24, leaving a trail of destruction across northern Venezuela. The coastal state of La Guaira, just north of Caracas, suffered the heaviest damage, with apartment blocks, homes and public infrastructure reduced to rubble. More than 16,000 people have been left homeless, while thousands remain unaccounted for.
Ten days after the disaster, international rescue teams from the United States and several Latin American countries have begun wrapping up search operations after detecting no further signs of life beneath collapsed buildings. Emergency experts note that the likelihood of finding survivors falls sharply after the first 72 hours following a major earthquake, although a handful of people were rescued alive in recent days.
At a ceremony honouring foreign rescue workers, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez expressed gratitude for the international support and acknowledged the immense suffering caused by the disaster. She described the tragedy as one that had plunged the nation into profound grief, with many families still hoping against hope that missing loved ones would be found alive.
Despite the ongoing humanitarian response, many survivors have criticised the government’s handling of the emergency, alleging that official rescue efforts were slow to reach the worst-hit communities. Residents said neighbours, volunteers and relatives carried out the initial search-and-rescue operations with their bare hands before professional teams and heavy equipment arrived. The government has rejected the criticism, insisting that thousands of troops, emergency personnel and relief workers were deployed immediately after the earthquakes.
Across La Guaira, heavy machinery has begun clearing collapsed buildings as families continue the painful task of recovering the bodies of loved ones. Volunteers working alongside emergency responders say the search has become increasingly difficult, but efforts continue wherever there is hope of locating victims trapped beneath the debris.
The disaster has triggered a growing humanitarian crisis. Hospitals remain overwhelmed by thousands of injured victims, while relief agencies warn of potential disease outbreaks in overcrowded temporary shelters. Aid organisations have established field hospitals and are providing medical care, food and other essential supplies to displaced families as authorities prepare for the long recovery and reconstruction process.
ADVERTISEMENTS
