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Venezuela earthquake death toll surges past 589 as thousands remain missing
🇸🇬 Singapore /Disasters & Emergencies

Venezuela earthquake death toll surges past 589 as thousands remain missing

From CNA · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 589, with thousands reported missing.
  • Rescuers are searching for survivors amid collapsed buildings, while thousands are left homeless.
  • The nation, already weakened by economic and political turmoil, faces a severe humanitarian crisis.

The official death toll from twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela has more than doubled to 589, interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced Friday. The government also confirmed 2,980 injuries as rescuers desperately searched for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

Regrettably, we now have 589 people who died.

— Delcy RodriguezAnnouncing the updated official death toll.

Rescuers worked through the night, combing through shattered structures with bare hands and torches in areas affected by power outages. Hundreds of Venezuelans were pulled from the rubble, but thousands more remain unaccounted for. A website tracking missing persons listed nearly 50,000 individuals as missing, while the US Geological Survey projected more than 10,000 deaths.

The earthquakes, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck about 160 kilometers west of the capital, Caracas, on Wednesday. The affected areas, particularly the coastal state of La Guaira, have seen widespread destruction. The government reported 250 buildings damaged or destroyed, including at least eight hospitals, the Venezuelan Red Cross, and the French embassy.

He's under the slabs and there's no machinery to get him out.

— Yamileth JimenezDescribing the desperate situation of her son trapped in debris.

Thousands of survivors are now homeless, facing dire conditions in a nation already grappling with decades of economic and political turmoil. This crisis has impoverished the country, led to an exodus of millions, and severely eroded essential infrastructure and services. Many survivors live in precarious hillside slums known as "barrios."

My building is uninhabitable and now I have nothing. It’s just me and my son, and I have no family in the country.

— Suhayl SarquizA survivor describing her loss and precarious situation.

International aid is beginning to arrive, with foreign rescue teams joining firefighters, soldiers, and distraught citizens in the search efforts. Volunteers have been seen heading towards affected areas with essential supplies like water, food, and medicine. However, the scale of the disaster and the pre-existing vulnerabilities of the nation present a monumental challenge.

It's a tragedy.

— Beatriz RodriguezA resident commenting on the devastating impact of the earthquakes on her family.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNA in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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