The number of individuals missing as a result of the recent earthquakes in Venezuela has now surpassed the 50,000 mark, as reported by Tom Fletcher, head of the United Nations (UN) Humanitarian Aid Office, this Friday (26) to the AFP news agency.
Fletcher described the situation as an “extremely comprehensive rescue operation”, highlighting the colossal task of searching for survivors amid the rubble, considering that there are more than 50,000 missing and, initially, more than 500 reported deaths.
The UN representative also expressed the likelihood that the number of fatalities will increase significantly in the coming days.
The release of this official balance represents the first detailed estimate of the total number of missing people, revealing the true scale of the devastation caused by the magnitude 7.5 and 7.2 earthquakes. Previously, the Venezuelan government had mentioned around 200 missing people on Thursday, contrasting with an unofficial investigation carried out by the population itself, which already indicated more than 40 thousand people with no known whereabouts.
The two consecutive tremors shook the northern region of the country, including the capital Caracas, last Wednesday night (24). The force of the tremors collapsed buildings and left a scene of widespread destruction, marking the most powerful earthquakes to hit Venezuela in more than a century.
This Friday (26), the Venezuelan government updated the total number of deaths to 589, while the number of injured reached 2,980.
The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, released the new data, which are still considered provisional. The United Nations and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) suggest that the total number of victims could be substantially higher, taking into account the intensity of the earthquakes, the precarious infrastructure and the densely populated areas affected.
In response to the crisis, the interim president announced the “militarization” of the state of La Guaira. This coastal region, on the outskirts of Caracas, is one of the hardest hit by earthquakes and was included in the “disaster zone” declared by the Venezuelan government.
The previous day, Thursday (25), the president of the Venezuelan Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, brother of the interim president, had reported that around 200 people remained trapped under the rubble. He also reported that authorities have so far recorded 250 buildings completely destroyed or seriously damaged.
Currently, rescue teams are intensifying efforts to locate the missing and free individuals trapped in ruins. Groups formed by residents of the affected areas, searching for family and friends, have already counted more than 24 thousand people missing.
Social media became a channel for many shocking reports and images of buildings that collapsed after the tremors.
The international community has mobilized to help Venezuela. Several countries, including the United States and Brazil, have already announced the sending of support teams for search operations, with humanitarian aid arriving in the country this Friday (26).