Venezuelan security forces continue rescue operations in search of survivors, after two powerful earthquakes shook the country last Wednesday (24), leaving a trail of devastation.
Amid the challenges of accessing isolated locations and interruptions in communication networks, an independent digital platform has emerged as a means for citizens to report the absence of their loved ones.
The data released by this tool indicates that more than 42 thousand individuals remain without communication with their families. This project operates autonomously, without any connection with Venezuelan government authorities, and is even used by citizens abroad trying to locate relatives in the country. This voluntary initiative gains particular importance given the scenario of access difficulties and failures in the communication infrastructure in several regions of the country. The scarcity of detailed official information about those affected sometimes leads the population to seek independent alternatives to locate their family members, highlighting the data vacuum filled by civic efforts.
In contrast, the official count of missing people in the national territory was updated to 157, according to a statement by Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, this Tuesday. Additionally, it is estimated that more than 200 individuals are buried.
The digital tool, which was named “Desaparecidos Terremoto Venezuela”, initially recorded the notification of 46 thousand missing people. Of this total, around 42,300 remain without news, while 3,700 have already had their whereabouts confirmed.
Currently, the difficulty in establishing contact with individuals in Venezuela can be attributed to severe restrictions and failures in the communications infrastructure. Interruptions in the electricity supply were also documented shortly after the earthquakes.
A message on the portal highlights the anguish of families: “Many families continue to have no information about the whereabouts of their loved ones after the earthquake. If you cannot contact them, we ask that you register here. If you have located someone, please notify us, so that the name brings relief, and not more suffering”, highlighted the initiative.
To register a missing individual on the platform, simply enter the full name and the last known location where the person was seen.
The website also provides a section for contact information, allowing families to be promptly notified when there is information about the location of the person they are looking for.
Additional information may be provided to assist in the location process, including a photograph, age, date of last contact and details relevant to the search, such as height and clothing.
Seismic shock transformed affected areas into a desolate scenario
The force of two violent earthquakes resulted in widespread destruction in Venezuela, with buildings collapsing and many people trapped under the debris.
The US Geological Survey recorded an initial magnitude 7.2 tremor approximately 160 kilometers west of Caracas on Wednesday (24). Less than a minute later, another tremor, of magnitude 7.5, was detected.
At dusk, rescue teams in Caracas intensified efforts to remove rubble from collapsed buildings, in a scenario where distressed relatives sought help in locating possibly buried family members.
Individuals who survived the collapses were rescued in a state of shock, many of them being transported on stretchers.
A resident of a neighboring building, Maria Alejandra, described the horror she experienced: “When you came down, the landscape was worthy of a horror film”, she reported, preferring to keep her surname confidential.
She complemented her report by stating: “It was necessary to cross mountains of debris. The caretaker, with a baby in his arms, and all the residents of our building went down. However, from the neighboring building, I only witnessed one family managing to escape.”