The number of people killed in Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes has increased to 3,535, while more than 16,700 others have sustained injuries, according to the latest official figures released by authorities on Monday.
The powerful earthquakes, which struck on June 24, caused widespread destruction across La Guaira State, located north of the capital, Caracas, reducing entire communities to rubble and leaving thousands of families displaced.
Government officials disclosed that 16,740 people were injured in the twin disasters, while more than 17,000 residents have been forced from their homes as a result of the destruction.
Although authorities have yet to provide an official figure for those still trapped or missing beneath collapsed buildings, the United Nations estimates that up to 50,000 people could still be unaccounted for.
The catastrophic earthquakes triggered one of the country’s worst humanitarian emergencies in recent years, with rescue teams continuing recovery operations while thousands of survivors struggle to rebuild their lives.
Many of those who escaped the disaster are now living in temporary shelters established on streets, public parks and open parking areas after losing their homes.
As hopes of finding additional survivors continue to fade, emergency operations have gradually shifted from search-and-rescue missions to recovery efforts, debris clearance and the burial of victims.
International rescue teams that had travelled to Venezuela to assist local authorities have also begun winding down their operations and departing the country.
Despite the transition to recovery efforts, grieving families continue searching hospitals, temporary morgues and disaster sites in the hope of identifying relatives and giving them proper burials.
On Sunday, Venezuelan authorities commenced the burial of dozens of victims whose identities had not yet been established.
The unidentified bodies were laid to rest in a mass burial at La Esperanza Cemetery in La Guaira.
Rows of simple white crosses, each decorated with small bouquets of flowers, now mark the graves of the unidentified victims.
Every cross bears the same date of death — June 24, 2026 — serving as a solemn reminder of the day the devastating earthquakes struck.
Authorities have continued to appeal for international humanitarian assistance as recovery operations progress and thousands of displaced residents remain in urgent need of shelter, food, medical care and other essential services.
