Almost 4,500 people confirmed dead in Venezuela's quakes

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has now risen to 4490.

Over 16 thousand people have been left injured, while almost 18 thousand are now homeless, the Venezuelan authorities said late on Sunday evening, in the latest update on the disastrous earthquakes that struck the southern American country.

Nearly three weeks after the devastating earthquake, many people remain unaccounted for as families continue searching through the rubble for the bodies of their loved ones.

According to the authorities, nearly 6,500 people have been rescued.

Heartbreak

Yet many rescue efforts ended in heartbreak. Reuters reports the story of a teenage girl in the city of La Guaira, the epicentre of the disaster, who remained conscious beneath the rubble during the first 24 hours after the quake. Rescuers were unable to reach her because the specialized equipment required never arrived. Her body remains trapped beneath the collapsed building.

Her 17-year-old friend, Maria, told Reuters that the two had been rehearsing a dance routine for their upcoming graduation when the earthquake struck. Trapped under the debris for 17 hours, Maria was eventually rescued alive.

Of the 10 friends who had been preparing the performance together, six survived.

Many similar stories have emerged in the aftermath of the disaster. Meanwhile, firefighters and specialist rescue teams from abroad, who were deployed during the initial emergency response, are now returning to their home countries.

"We knew there were people who were alive, but because of the amount of debris and rubble in the way, we just couldn't physically get there in time and unfortunately... people had passed on," a British firefighter told the BBC.

Generosity and resilience

Another member of the British rescue team spoke of the resilience and generosity shown by the Venezuelan people despite their immense suffering.

"They've lost their homes, friends and families, [and] they still found time to offer us kindness," he said.

"They were offering us water, sweets—anything they had. They were offering it just to help us get through those difficult moments, which was amazing. Their kindness was just exceptional to me."

UN appeal

Last week, the United Nations launched an urgent appeal for nearly US$300 million to provide humanitarian assistance to 1.3 million people over the next six months.

The UN estimates that the earthquakes caused US$6.7 billion in damage, equivalent to around six per cent of Venezuela's gross domestic product.

(Source: Reuters and other agencies)