The death toll from a series of earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has surpassed 3,300.
According to Reuters on July 5, the Venezuelan Ministry of Information reported that the number of fatalities has risen to 3,342. The number of injured stands at 16,470, while approximately 17,345 people have been displaced.
The hardest-hit area is La Guaira, located north of the capital Caracas. The two major earthquakes that occurred on June 24 caused dozens of buildings to collapse, and thousands are reported missing.
Rescue operations are transitioning from searching for survivors to recovering and burying the deceased. AFP reported that international rescue teams are concluding their search efforts and preparing to withdraw, while mourning and burial activities for the victims are intensifying.
Reports indicate that Venezuelan authorities have buried over 150 unidentified bodies in individual graves in La Guaira, the region most affected near Caracas.
As the scale of the disaster grows, criticism of the government's response is mounting. Locally, there are complaints that rescue and relief efforts were delayed immediately following the earthquake, and that affected residents have not received adequate support.
Interim President Delsy Rodriguez addressed these criticisms during a speech commemorating the 215th anniversary of Venezuela's independence. She defended the government's actions, stating that security forces were deployed immediately after the earthquake and announced plans to establish a new military unit to support emergency and disaster response in the future.
Meanwhile, the United Nations estimates that the damage from the earthquake amounts to $6.7 billion, roughly 6% of Venezuela's gross domestic product (GDP). Given the pre-existing economic crisis and political turmoil that had already weakened infrastructure and healthcare services, recovery efforts are expected to take considerable time.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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