A report recently released by the Venezuelan government this Friday (26) shows that 920 people lost their lives as a result of the recent earthquakes that hit the country. The data update, announced at 2:20 pm Brasília time, reflects the growing dimension of the catastrophe.
In addition to the confirmed deaths, a previous report, released this Friday, indicated the existence of 2,980 individuals with injuries resulting from the earthquakes.
The series of two strong earthquakes, which began on Wednesday night (24), devastated the northern portion of Venezuela, including the capital Caracas. These tremors, the most intense to hit Venezuelan territory in more than a century, caused the collapse of buildings and spread a scenario of widespread destruction throughout the metropolitan region. The magnitude and location of the earthquakes, close to densely populated urban areas with vulnerable infrastructure, explain the rapid increase in the number of victims and the fears that the real impact will be even greater.
Shocking images reveal the collapse of buildings during earthquakes
Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, presented the new figures, emphasizing their provisional nature. International organizations, such as the United Nations (UN) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), warn that the total number of fatalities could be substantially higher. This concern is based on the strength of the earthquake, the structural fragility of many buildings and the high population density of the affected regions, indicating that the true human cost of the tragedy has yet to be revealed.
The UN Humanitarian Aid Office also released an alarming estimate: more than 50,000 people were missing after the seismic events, further complicating search and rescue efforts.
On Thursday (25), Rodríguez, who is the brother of President Delcy Rodríguez, reported that approximately 200 individuals remained trapped under the rubble. He added that the government has, to date, counted 250 buildings that have been completely destroyed or suffered severe damage to their structure.
The country’s interim president announced that the government will implement the “militarization” of the state of La Guaira, one of the areas most affected by the earthquakes. La Guaira, a coastal strip adjacent to Caracas, has been formally designated a “disaster zone” by Venezuelan authorities, indicating the seriousness of the situation.
In this critical scenario, rescue teams intensify their work, in a race against time to locate the missing and extract survivors from the wreckage of buildings.
Reports and images shared widely on social media platforms document the extent of the damage, showing multiple buildings that collapsed after the strong tremors, as seen in visual records circulating online.