Almost a month after the double earthquake of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 that occurred in Venezuela, The death toll rose to 5,346 this Tuesdaywhile the number of injured remains at 16,740. The data was confirmed by the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez.
According to the report provided through Telegram by the brother of the president in charge, Delcy Rodríguez, there are 23,122 people in 107 temporary camps and some 128,324 families who were assisted by the authorities.
The impact of the earthquakes – which had a total of 1,405 aftershocks since June 24- It resulted in more than 850 buildings affected and 190 collapsed, according to the official balance.
In the midst of the disaster, the Venezuelan government reported that around 240 families received their first homes that were awarded to those affected by the earthquakes. The delivery of the apartments was in charge of the president.
Meanwhile, although there are no official figures for missing people, the citizen website ‘Venezuela Earthquake Missing’ records the 29,500 people with unknown whereabouts.
Beyond the lack of a government record, it is estimated that the number of people who disappeared in the midst of the disaster could rise to 50,000, according to unconfirmed figures received by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in June.
In a desolate panorama, these days, unidentified victims are being buried in several recently opened graves in a municipal cemetery in the state of La Guaira.
In addition, the government and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) estimate that there are 2,106,000 tons of debris. The calculation arises from the overflight of drones, helicopters, and field measurements.
On the other hand, the Venezuelan administration called for the voluntary taking of DNA samples to identify those who died from the double earthquake. The call is directed to those who know or have indications that their loved ones are in morgues in La Guaira – the state most affected by the earthquakes – or in Bello Monte, Caracas.
The call was disseminated through a statement from the National Service of Medicine and Forensic Sciences (Senamecf) and the Ministry of the Interior, where they point out that the objective is “to achieve the identification of the victims through scientific comparisons of genetic profiles and provide certainty and peace to the families.”