The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela after the devastating double earthquake is deepening at a critical speed.
As of 07:45 Bulgarian time on Sunday, the number of people missing exceeded a shocking 68,900 people, according to the latest data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and international rescue platforms.
The Speaker of the National Assembly Jorge Rodriguez announced at an extraordinary briefing that the number of confirmed deaths has already reached at least 1,430 people. The officially registered injured are over 3,238, but hospitals in the country are overloaded and the real number of victims is expected to be significantly higher. More than 3,142 families have been left homeless.
The situation is most dire in the capital, Caracas, and the coastal city of La Guaira, where nine-story apartment buildings have completely collapsed. Rescue operations are being carried out in extremely dangerous conditions, with over 430 aftershocks recorded so far.
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced that 2,741 international rescuers and 96 specialized dogs from 24 countries are already working on the ground, providing emergency assistance to local teams.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) confirmed to BTA that there has been no official information about Bulgarian citizens injured or killed in the disaster.