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Funeral Emergency in Venezuela After Earthquakes; Morgues Work 24 Hours, Cemeteries Expand for Thousands of Victims
🇲🇽 Mexico /Disasters & Emergencies

Funeral Emergency in Venezuela After Earthquakes; Morgues Work 24 Hours, Cemeteries Expand for Thousands of Victims

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Venezuela faces a severe funeral emergency following devastating earthquakes, with morgues operating 24 hours and cemeteries expanding to accommodate thousands of victims.
  • The municipal cemetery of La Esperanza is preparing for an additional 2,000 to 3,000 graves to handle the influx of bodies.
  • Official government figures report over 3,899 deaths, while unofficial initiatives suggest up to 30,000 people remain unaccounted for.

Venezuela is grappling with a profound funeral crisis in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, as morgues struggle to cope with the mounting death toll. The La Esperanza municipal cemetery, located near Catia la Mar, has been significantly expanded to accommodate the victims, with excavators preparing ground for an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 additional graves.

Crematoriums in Caracas and the morgue in La Guaira have been operating around the clock for over 15 days. At the La Esperanza cemetery, approximately five coffins awaited burial on a recent Friday. A cemetery attendant explained that the site has been operating at full capacity since the night of the earthquake, with ongoing efforts to increase burial space.

We are preparing to have a capacity of about 2,000 or 3,000 graves.

— Cemetery attendantDescribing the expansion of the La Esperanza cemetery to handle earthquake victims.

"We are preparing to have a capacity of about 2,000 or 3,000 graves," the attendant told EFE, emphasizing that the process is dignified and orderly. He noted that around 600 people have been buried there so far. Graves, whether identified or not, are marked with a white cross and stones. For unidentified bodies, a numbered tomb is used, with the intention of adding the name once identification is confirmed. "People can rest assured that normal burial is being provided. There are no mass graves here," the attendant assured.

The government's latest figures, released on a Thursday, indicated 3,899 confirmed deaths, an increase of 88 from the previous day. However, no official data has been provided on the number of missing persons. Some citizen initiatives suggest that as many as 30,000 people remain uncontactable. In the makeshift morgue at Los Silos, near the port of La Guaira, dozens of body bags were visible under gray tents, awaiting identification or classification. Hundreds of coffins were also stacked near port containers.

People can rest assured that normal burial is being provided. There are no mass graves here.

— Cemetery attendantReassuring the public about the burial process for earthquake victims.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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