Venezuela (Monitoring Desk) The scale of destruction continues to increase following two powerful earthquakes that struck the coastal regions of Venezuela on June 24. According to officials, the death toll has risen to 1,719, while more than 5,000 people have been injured. The United Nations has expressed concern that the number of missing persons could reach 68,000.
According to Venezuelan authorities, the natural disaster has left 15,866 people homeless, while 22,619 affected individuals are receiving treatment at various medical centres. Large-scale relief and rescue operations are continuing in an effort to locate missing persons.
The state of La Guaira, which was the epicentre of the earthquakes, has been the worst affected. Following extensive loss of life and property, the government declared the area a disaster zone and handed control to the military.
Even five days after the earthquakes, debris removal and search operations for survivors continue. Rescue teams from several countries, working alongside heavy machinery, are participating in the operations; however, hopes of finding survivors beneath the rubble are fading with the passage of time.
On Monday, joint rescue teams from El Salvador, Mexico and Venezuela continued efforts in Catia La Mar to rescue a 21-year-old man who had remained trapped beneath a collapsed building since the day of the earthquake.
According to officials, the epicentres of both earthquakes were located between San Felipe and Yumare in northern Venezuela. The first earthquake struck at 6:04 pm with a magnitude of 7.2, while a second earthquake measuring 7.5 occurred only 39 seconds later. In total, the ground continued shaking for nearly three minutes.
Aftershocks are also continuing in the affected regions, and another earthquake measuring 4.6 was recently recorded in La Guaira, increasing fear and anxiety among survivors.
Meanwhile, the international community has joined relief efforts. The United States has dispatched aircraft, naval vessels and helicopters to support rescue operations, while the Latin America and Caribbean Development Bank announced the establishment of a 200 million dollar relief fund for Venezuela's recovery and reconstruction.
Following allegations of delays in relief operations, assistance activities in the affected areas have been accelerated. Police and military personnel in La Guaira are distributing food and essential supplies among displaced people.
According to National Assembly leader Jorge Rodríguez, electricity has been restored to 90 percent of the most severely affected areas of La Guaira, while 15 temporary shelters have also been established for those affected.