One week after the June 24 earthquakes, the death toll in Venezuela has reached 2,295, according to the latest update released on Wednesday (1) by the South American country’s government. The number of injured stands at 11,267.
In response to the scale of the tragedy, Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez declared seven days of official mourning, beginning at 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
“Venezuela’s soul has been torn apart by the lives lost in the devastating earthquakes,” said a statement signed by Delcy Rodriguez. “In these moments of profound sadness, we embrace those suffering from this tragedy and reaffirm our commitment to accompanying and protecting them.”
The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale and both highly destructive, occurred less than a minute apart and caused thousands of building collapses in several regions of the country. The hardest-hit areas were La Guaíra and Caracas.
More than 6,000 people were rescued alive from the rubble by emergency teams, and 13,500 managed to escape on their own or with help from family members and neighbors.
More than 25,000 professionals, including firefighters, police officers and military personnel, are working to find survivors, supported by over 15,000 volunteers and more than 3,000 people sent from other countries.
Source: Agência Brasil
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