Venezuela earthquake death toll rises to 2,595, over 12,000 injured
Caracas, July 3
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez said that the earthquakes had killed 2,595 people and injured more than 12,000 others, and destroyed 189 buildings in the country.
Rodriguez, who also heads the command centre for the creation of temporary camps, earlier called on health workers, security personnel and firefighters to register on the Patria platform in order to address housing problems caused by the earthquakes.
He said 25 temporary camps were active, including 13 in La Guaira, eight in Caracas, two in Miranda, one in Carabobo and one in Yaracuy.
Rodriguez said authorities were moving quickly to equip the camps and transfer affected people there.
Since June 24, Venezuela has recorded 782 aftershocks, though their frequency and magnitude have decreased, he said.
Meanwhile, Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez has declared seven days of national mourning in tribute to the victims of the powerful earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.
"In honour of the memory of the victims, I have decided to decree National Mourning for seven (7) days, starting at 6:00 p.m. today," Rodriguez wrote in a statement posted on social media on Wednesday (local time).
She said that "in these moments of profound sadness, we embrace those who suffer from this tragedy and reaffirm our commitment to accompany and protect them."
"Venezuela's soul is torn by the human losses caused by the devastating earthquakes," Rodriguez added.
Two earthquakes measuring magnitude 7.5 and 7.2 struck north of Caracas last week. Authorities said that tens of thousands still missing.
Earlier on Thursday, Rodriguez has declared seven days of national mourning in tribute to the victims of the powerful earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.
"In honour of the memory of the victims, I have decided to decree National Mourning for seven (7) days, starting at 6:00 p.m. today," Rodriguez wrote in a statement posted on social media on Wednesday (local time).
She said that "in these moments of profound sadness, we embrace those who suffer from this tragedy and reaffirm our commitment to accompany and protect them."
— IANS
Reader Comments
Seven days of national mourning is a must, but what about the thousands still missing? The government needs to focus on search and rescue, not just camps. Reminds me of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake—chaos for months. Hope Venezuela recovers stronger.
Tragic numbers. As someone who lived through the 2015 Nepal earthquake, I can feel the pain. The aftershocks, the displacement, the fear—it's immense. I hope infrastructure like hospitals and schools is prioritised in rebuilding. Stay strong, Venezuela.
I appreciate the call for health workers and firefighters to register, but is the Patria platform actually functional during a crisis? India's disaster response often uses offline coordination too. Let's hope Venezuela's camps are well-supplied with food and medicine. 😔
"Venezuela's soul is torn" — very poetic, but actions speak louder. Countries like India have shown that with proper drills and early warning systems (like in Odisha cyclone), thousands of lives can be saved. Hope this becomes a wake-up call for global seismic preparedness.
Living in India, we know earthquakes too—Uttarkashi, Latur, Kashmir. This level of destruction in Venezuela shows how unprepared some nations are. I hope the international community, including India, steps up with financial aid and engineering expertise.
S We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.