The toll of victims from the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24 continues to rise: this Saturday, authorities confirmed 1,430 deceased, while more than 54,000 remain unaccounted for.
Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, presented the new official report with figures that reflect the magnitude of the disaster: 3,238 injured, 3,142 families housed in temporary shelters, and more than 12,000 medical assistances provided in the affected areas.
The two earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, occurred just 39 seconds apart on Wednesday afternoon, with their epicenter in the north of the country, in the San Felipe area of Yaracuy state.
The coastal region was the most devastated: the state of La Guaira was declared a disaster zone, with over 100 collapsed buildings and severe damage at Maiquetía International Airport.
The number of fatalities has increased rapidly since the first official count. On Thursday, June 25, 164 deaths were reported; by Friday night, June 26, the figure had already reached 920 deceased, and on Saturday, it surpassed 1,400.
The citizen platform Encuéntralos, which unofficially records reports of missing persons, counted at noon this Saturday 54,973 missing men and women.
The UN, for its part, estimates up to 50,000 missing and reports a total of 6.76 million people affected by the disaster.
Rescue operations were complicated this Saturday by a 4.9 magnitude aftershock that shook the country, along with two smaller aftershocks of 3.8 and 3.0 registered in the early morning.
A total of at least 30 aftershocks have been recorded since Wednesday.
The international response has been extensive: 25 rescue teams from 17 countries are operating in the affected areas. The United States announced support of 150 million dollars.
The confirmed foreign victims include 28 Portuguese, seven Chinese, and five Spaniards, with 119 Spanish citizens still unaccounted for.
At least 32 Cubans are still missing following the earthquakes, primarily concentrated in the towns of Caraballeda, Catia La Mar, and Los Corales in the state of La Guaira. The searches for Cubans in Venezuela remain active this Saturday.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) issued a Red Alert following the earthquakes and estimates a 42% probability that the total number of fatalities could be between 10,000 and 100,000, an automatic probabilistic projection that contrasts with the ongoing official count.
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