Rescue teams in Venezuela are fighting a desperate battle against time. Four days after two powerful earthquakes struck the northern part of the country, the critical 72-hour window to find survivors has officially closed.
Despite the diminishing odds, international and local teams continue to search the ruins under the threat of epidemics and a severe political crisis.
Current statistics on the disaster (as of 21:40 Bulgarian time)
The confirmed death toll is at least 1,430 (expected to rise sharply). Civilians injured are over 3,350 (hospitals are operating at 900% overcapacity)
The number of officially missing people is between 50,000 and 68,900. Preliminary economic damage is between 4.7 and 8.7 billion dollars The most affected regions are the state of La Guaira (epicenter), the capital Caracas and the city of Morón
Humanitarian crisis and “pancake collapses“
The natural disaster hit Venezuela on June 24 - an official national holiday, which meant most people were at home. The specifics of the quake (“seismic doublet“) led to the so-called „pancake collapses“ – entire floors of apartment blocks have been compressed on top of each other, making clearance extremely difficult and dangerous.
Infrastructure collapse: In the hardest-hit coastal state of La Guaira, entire residential neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble. Caracas' main international airport, Simón Bolívar, remains partially destroyed and closed to commercial flights. Health crisis: Hospitals are paralyzed by a lack of supplies. Medical associations are warning of a looming epidemic crisis. Broken water pipes are mixing with pollution, endangering the drinking water of survivors. According to an estimate by UNICEF, nearly 1.8 million people (including 680,000 children) are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.WHO and UN recommendations: Stop the epidemic risk
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN have issued urgent prescriptions for the prevention of a humanitarian disaster of a secondary type:
Priority on clean water: The UN is calling for the immediate deployment of mobile water purification stations in La Guaira, as the collapsed sewage system has already contaminated groundwater. The risk of cholera and dysentery outbreaks is described as “critical“. Field hospitals: WHO has called for urgent supplies of antibiotics, tetanus vaccines and dressings. The organization has begun building temporary field clinics to accommodate patients from the city's destroyed hospitals.Billions in damage and economic shock
Initial estimates by the World Bank and local economists indicate that the financial damage ranges between 4.7 and 8.7 billion dollars. The amount is beyond the state budget and will require long-term international financing. Port facilities in Puerto Cabello, which are key to the economy, have been destroyed, which will seriously hinder the import of food and essential goods in the coming months.
Political instability blocks aid
The coordination of rescue operations has been seriously complicated by the deep political crisis that Venezuela has been in since the beginning of the year. The power struggle between the interim government of Delcy Rodriguez and opposition factions is creating chaos in places:
Lack of central command: Rescue teams on the ground report that different military and police factions often duplicate orders or refuse to share logistical resources. Distribution problems: International observers express concerns that humanitarian aid could be used for political purposes or blocked at checkpoints by local armed groups.The miracle of survival and the international response
Despite the difficult situation, social networks were today surrounded by images of hope. In La Guaira, rescuers managed to retrieve a living 18-day-old baby, who spent over two days under the ruins, and an hour later his mother was rescued.
Global mobilization: Nearly 2,000 international rescuers and dozens of search dogs are providing support on the ground. The United States has sent two naval ships, transport planes and $150 million in emergency aid through the United Nations. Rescue teams and heavy equipment have also arrived from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Germany.During his Sunday prayer at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV expressed his deep spiritual solidarity with the Venezuelan people and appealed to the international community for free and urgent financial support.