Portuguese deaths in Venezuela earthquakes rise to 68

The Portuguese government has confirmed a tragic toll of 68 of its citizens deceased in Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes. Among the victims are 10 minors, and an additional 74 Portuguese nationals remain unaccounted for, feared lost in the disaster.

Officials from Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that a significant number of the confirmed fatalities, 59 individuals, also held Venezuelan nationality, highlighting the deep ties between the two nations.

The powerful twin earthquakes, registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck Venezuela's Caribbean coastline last Wednesday with just 39 seconds between them. The quakes have resulted in at least 1,943 deaths and 10,571 injuries, according to Venezuelan authorities. This seismic event marks the deadliest in Venezuela in a century, impacting Caracas and six northern states, with La Guaira being the most severely affected region.

Preliminary assessments by NASA, utilizing satellite imagery, indicate the extensive destruction caused by the earthquakes. The agency estimates that approximately 58,870 buildings across the affected region may have been damaged or completely destroyed, underscoring the scale of the catastrophe.