On Monday, senior lawmaker Jorge Rodríguez announced that the death count from the severe earthquakes in Venezuela last June has reached 6,125. The two quakes, registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck on June 24 and caused catastrophic damage throughout the nation. This new total is up from the prior report of 5,546 fatalities, while nearly 61,000 individuals have sought medical help for injuries.
Search efforts are ongoing, but thousands are still missing. Independent estimates suggest that between 17,000 and 29,500 people have not been located, fueling fears that the death count will rise. The state of La Guaira was particularly impacted, with about 200 buildings leveled. Authorities have deemed over 16,200 structures hazardous, displacing thousands of citizens to shelters in La Guaira and Caracas.
Cleanup crews have managed to clear 350,000 tonnes of debris, which is only 16.5 per cent of the total 2.1 million tonnes estimated. To address the resulting housing shortages, the government passed a law to simplify the process for victims to find rental properties by removing former restrictions. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has countered claims that the government’s emergency response was delayed, maintaining that officials are working hard to facilitate recovery and aid those affected by the tragedy.
