CARACAS, Venezuela — The death toll from Venezuela’s twin earthquakes has risen to 2,954, as international rescue teams begin scaling down search operations more than a week after the disaster devastated parts of the South American nation.
Updated official figures released on Saturday showed fatalities increased by more than 300 since Friday, underscoring the scale of destruction caused by the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck on June 24, just 38 seconds apart.
The earthquakes, among the deadliest in Latin America’s recent history, caused widespread devastation, particularly in the coastal state of La Guaira, where numerous residential buildings collapsed, leaving thousands homeless.
Rescue efforts wind down
Ten days after the disaster, rescue teams have begun transitioning from search-and-rescue operations to recovery efforts as hopes of finding more survivors diminish.
While the critical rescue window following major earthquakes is generally considered to be 72 hours, emergency crews managed to rescue a small number of survivors earlier this week.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez honoured international rescue teams, including their search dogs, during a ceremony recognising their contribution to the emergency response.
“Venezuela is experiencing a profound grief gripping our people, where families still hold out hope of finding loved ones alive, people who have lost everything,” Rodríguez said.
Search and rescue teams from several countries, including the United States and South America, confirmed they were concluding their operations after extensive searches yielded no further signs of life.
Thousands still missing
Although the Venezuelan government has not released an official figure for those unaccounted for, the United Nations estimates that up to 50,000 people remain missing.
Families continue searching through collapsed buildings in the hope of recovering relatives, while heavy machinery has begun clearing debris in severely affected neighbourhoods.
Volunteer Francisco Sasquia, who has been assisting recovery efforts in La Guaira, said teams were continuing to retrieve bodies from the rubble.
“We’re still working, still searching for bodies. We’re still going. It hasn’t been easy,” he said.
Economic losses mount
The United Nations estimates the earthquakes caused approximately US$6.7 billion in physical damage, equivalent to about 6 pc of Venezuela’s gross domestic product.
The disaster has compounded challenges facing the country, which has endured years of economic instability and deteriorating public infrastructure.
Maiquetía International Airport, which serves Caracas, sustained damage during the earthquakes. While humanitarian flights have resumed, commercial operations remain suspended.
Rodríguez said the government was engaging international partners to support the airport’s reconstruction, adding that a recovery plan would be unveiled next week.
As recovery efforts continue, many Venezuelans have criticised what they describe as a delayed government response during the initial hours after the earthquakes, with some families saying they relied on neighbours and volunteers to rescue survivors before official assistance arrived.
Authorities maintain that thousands of security personnel, emergency responders and public officials were deployed to support rescue and relief operations across the affected areas.