The number of fatalities resulting from earthquakes in Venezuela reached 589 people this Thursday (25), according to a new balance released by the Venezuelan government.
The official update also revealed that the disaster left 2,980 individuals injured.
On Wednesday night (24), the northern region of the country, including the capital Caracas, was hit by two strong consecutive earthquakes, considered the most intense recorded in Venezuela in more than a century, which resulted in the collapse of buildings and vast destruction.
The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, was responsible for announcing the new data on the victims.
His brother, Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Venezuelan Parliament, reported on Thursday (25) that around 200 people remained trapped under the rubble. He also confirmed the record of 250 buildings that completely collapsed or suffered severe damage.
However, authorities warn that the number of deaths and injuries is still provisional.
While rescue teams work intensely to search for survivors and remove debris, groups organized by residents of the affected areas have already counted more than 24,000 people missing, a number that contrasts drastically with preliminary official data and indicates the real scale of the tragedy.
Many collapsing buildings were documented and shared on social media, showing the severity of the situation.
The international community responded quickly, with countries including the United States and Brazil announcing the dispatch of specialized teams to assist with search and rescue efforts, with help beginning to arrive on Friday (26).
Characteristics of the earthquakes that impacted Venezuela
The two earthquakes that devastated Venezuela occurred within a short period, less than a minute apart and separated by a distance of five kilometers. The epicenter of the most powerful tremor was located in El Guayabo, a Venezuelan city located 168 km from Caracas.
Aftershocks were felt in several coastal cities close to the capital, such as La Guaira, which suffered extensive damage. Caracas’ main international airport was closed as a security measure.
The extent of the devastation is explained not only by the intensity of the tremors, which reached magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, but also by the shallow depth at which they occurred. More superficial tremors tend to be felt with greater force at the surface, amplifying their destructive power.
Furthermore, the earthquakes struck densely populated areas, which contributed to the high number of casualties and massive destruction. The United States Geological Survey (USGS), considering all these variables, made a projection that points to the possibility of the final death toll exceeding the 10,000 mark.