The government of Venezuela has raised the official toll of fatalities from the devastating earthquakes of June 24 to 2,295 deceased, marking the worst seismic disaster to hit the country in over a century.
During a press conference broadcasted by Venezolana de Televisión, the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, reported that to date, there are 2,295 fatalities, 11,267 injured, and 12,841 displaced individuals.
The number of fatalities has seen a steady increase since the first reports: the tally stood at 164 deaths on June 25, rose to 920 on the 26th, reached 1,719 on the 29th and climbed to 1,943 on June 30.
Regarding the rescue efforts, the president of the legislature indicated that 6,461 people have been rescued since the earthquakes occurred, and mentioned among them a girl found alive the day before.
"Hope remains intact, and we will continue to search for people who may still be alive among the rubble," Rodríguez stated.
More than 26,000 personnel —including from the Bolivarian National Armed Force, the Bolivarian National Police, firefighters, and institutional rescuers— and over 17,000 volunteers remain deployed in the affected areas, it was noted. Additionally, more than 4,000 international brigadists are still on the ground.
Rodríguez also explained that the interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, ordered the expedited transfer of those affected to temporary camps in Caracas and the state of La Guaira, which are equipped with showers, beds, and mattresses.
The official figures from the Venezuelan government, however, contrast sharply with independent records. The UN estimated that there could be up to 50,000 missing after the earthquakes, while the citizen platform Encuéntralos, activated in response to the collapse of official emergency lines, reports 71,203 people unaccounted for as of Wednesday evening.
As of June 29, that same platform had recorded up to 77,913 missing persons, of which only about 9,000 had been found, highlighting the true magnitude of the disaster compared to the figures released by the Venezuelan regime.
The two earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, jolted northern Venezuela on June 24, just 39 seconds apart, with epicenters in the state of Yaracuy. The United States Geological Survey classified them as the most powerful recorded in the country since 1900 and estimates a 42% probability that the total number of fatalities could be between 10,000 and 100,000.
The United Nations Development Programme estimated the direct damages from the earthquakes at 6.7 billion dollars, which is equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's gross domestic product.
The president Delcy Rodríguez decreed this Wednesday seven days of national mourning in honor of the victims of the tragedy that has shocked Venezuela and the world. The measure will take effect at 6:00 PM on July 2 and stipulates that the national flag be flown at half-mast on all public buildings and military units across the country for one week.
The disaster has also affected Cubans closely: at least 32 people from Cuba have been reported missing, mainly in the state of La Guaira, and the deaths of a 15-year-old girl, an adult man, and a family of six have been confirmed.
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