Earthquakes in Venezuela: two weeks after the catastrophe there are already more than four thousand dead

The consecutive earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 especially hit the coastal state of La Guaira, where dozens of buildings collapsed.

The double earthquake left until this Friday 4,118 dead and 16,740 injuredaccording to the report released by the president of Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, brother of the president in charge, Delcy Rodríguez.

Attention: pic.twitter.com/KhltJRWz1T

— Jorge Rodriguez (@jorgerpsuv) July 10,

The government also counted 17,907 people without housing due to the destruction. More than 800 buildings were affected, of which 190 suffered a total collapse, according to official data.

According to the official balance, 1,171 aftershocks have occurred since June 24, among them magnitude 3.9 that shook Caracas around 11 local time (12 from Argentina) on Friday. Dozens of people evacuated from high towers in the financial sector of El Rosal, east of the capital.

On social networks, users reported evacuation of buildings in sectors such as La Candelaria, Los Ruices, Plaza Venezuela or Chacao in Caracas.

“It felt strong (…), they evicted everyone,” says Liliana Peñaloza, a maintenance employee in one of the buildings. “Here We are scared because everyone is waiting. With what happened on June 24, one is already alert to everything that happens,” explains the 57-year-old woman.

Amber Llanes, a 26-year-old travel agent, was left “super nervous” after the devastating earthquakes. “We have enough anguish that it will happen again” a “catastrophe”, he confesses.

The interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, called on Wednesday for the release of Venezuelan resources blocked abroad, while the UN tries to raise almost $300 million to help the country’s recovery.

The municipal cemetery de la Esperanza – in the state of La Guaira, considered the epicenter of the double earthquake of June 24 – was expanded to be able to receive the victimswhile the Caracas crematoriums and the La Guaira morgue have been operating 24 hours a day for more than 15 days.

“If you’re getting ready for have a capacity of about 2,000 or 3,000 tombs. The cemetery has been there full time and since the night of the earthquake they have been working to expand it,” he explained to the Efe news agency. one of the guards, who preferred not to give his name.