The toll from the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela continues to rise dramatically.
As of the early hours of June 28 (Bulgarian time), the number of confirmed deaths reached 1,430 people, parliament speaker Jorge Rodriguez told state television. Health ministry figures show that over 3,200 people were injured, and the hospital system, already weakened by the long-term economic crisis, is on the verge of complete collapse.
A race against time under the ruins
Rescue teams are entering a critical phase after the first 72 hours of the initial tremor. The search for survivors is being conducted in conditions of continuous aftershocks, with the last stronger of them – with magnitude 4.8 on Richter – shook the northern state of Aragua on Saturday afternoon.
More than 55,000 people are still missing. Although some of the cases are attributed to interrupted communications and the lack of mobile coverage, thousands of families continue to dig with improvised means among the remains of the more than 1,400 collapsed buildings.
A ray of hope in the dark statistics brought the rescue of An 18-day-old baby and his mother, who were pulled alive from the rubble of an apartment building after three days under concrete.
The scale of the disaster
According to the latest report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to the UN, the disaster could affect up to 6.76 million people – nearly a quarter of the country's population. In the capital, Caracas, about 2 million people are affected, and the epicenter of the destruction, the state of La Guaira, has been completely militarized by the interim government of Delcy Rodriguez in order to facilitate humanitarian corridors. The main international airport “Simón Bolívar“ remains partially closed due to severe damage to infrastructure.
International mobilization and internal tensions
Over 1,600 foreign rescuers from the United States, Latin America, and the European Union are already operating on the ground. The EU has activated its Civil Protection Mechanism, sending over 520 specialists, sniffer dogs and equipment. The US has announced humanitarian aid worth $150 million and temporarily eased banking sanctions to facilitate transfers.
Against this backdrop, social discontent is brewing in the affected areas. Citizens are openly accusing the administration of poor organization of essential goods, and in some settlements sporadic acts of looting of damaged commercial premises are reported.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed earlier that there are no data on Bulgarian citizens injured in the disaster.
Sources: Reuters, Al-Jazeera, Euronews and BTA