The earthquakes on June 24 in Venezuela continue to leave personal names among its victims. In recent days, the deaths of basketball player Gilberto Hernández, actress and presenter Yorgelis Delgado, and university student Vicky Chiquinquirá Urdaneta Leal have been confirmed, three cases that illustrate the human impact of the most severe seismic disaster the country has experienced in over a century.
According to information from Noticiero Venevision on their social media, the official toll from the Ministry of Communication and Information stands at 2,645 dead and 12,666 injured following the double earthquake on June 24, which shook the states of Yaracuy and Carabobo with magnitudes of 7.5 and 7.2, just 39 seconds apart.
Hernández, who made his debut in the Professional Basketball Super League (SPB) in 2017 with the Cocodrilos de Caracas, lost his life along with his wife in La Guaira state.
The board of directors of the SPB issued an official condolence statement highlighting his career in the national baseball leagues.
The entertainment world also mourns Yorgelis Delgado, known for her role in the Venezuelan children's series «El Club de los Tigritos».
She and her mother, Gladys Escalona de Delgado, had been reported missing after the collapse of the Coral Beach building in the Caraballeda area.
On July 3, the family confirmed the discovery of both bodies through an official statement in which they expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and requested "respect and privacy as they go through this time of deep mourning." Their daughter and the father of the minor were rescued alive.
The third identified victim is Vicky Chiquinquirá Urdaneta Leal, a Modern Languages student at the Faculty of Humanities and Education of the University of Zulia (LUZ).
The young woman lived in the Los Bucaneros building in Catia La Mar and had been missing for several days when her body was found without vital signs on July 3.
She graduated in 2024 as a cabin crew member from the Sky Crew School aviation academy, also located in Catia La Mar. Her loved ones described her as "a kind, beloved person, full of life."
Venezuelan sports has already suffered several losses due to the earthquakes. Days before, the Venezuelan Football Federation had confirmed the deaths of at least four football players, including 18-year-old midfielder Yimvert Berroterán, who was found among the rubble in La Guaira.
The official figures, which have steadily increased from the 164 reported deaths on June 25, do not necessarily reflect the true magnitude of the disaster.
The UN estimates up to 50,000 missing persons, while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) calculates a 42% probability that the final number of victims could range between 10,000 and 100,000 people. Material damages are estimated at 6.7 billion dollars, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's gross domestic product.
The official balance also reports 890 recorded aftershocks, 885 affected buildings, and 189 collapsed buildings.
Approximately 15,050 people remain affected, spread across 59 temporary camps, while around 29,567 personnel continue to be deployed in the affected areas and the death toll continues to rise with each day of search efforts.
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