Search and rescue operations continue across Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes. The official death toll surpassed 1,700 on Monday, but many collapsed buildings have yet to be searched. A United Nations official announced the delivery of 10,000 body bags.
Based on satellite imagery, NASA scientists estimated on Monday that nearly 59,000 buildings were destroyed or completely collapsed in the June 24 earthquakes, primarily in the coastal state of La Guaira. Authorities in Caracas, however, reported only 855 damaged buildings, including 189 that had collapsed.
Although five days have passed since the disaster, Venezuelan and international rescue teams, together with thousands of local volunteers, continue searching for survivors in the affected areas. On Monday, Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced that a 21-year-old man had been rescued alive from beneath the rubble.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced overnight from Monday to Tuesday that his country’s rescue team had located a 44-year-old man trapped inside a collapsed building, established contact with him, and provided him with water. He added that rescuers were working to bring him safely to the surface.
Experts acknowledge, however, that the chances of survival in collapsed buildings diminish with every passing hour, and the death toll is expected to rise significantly. The UN Coordinator in Venezuela, Gianluca Rampolla, told reporters that the organization had agreed with the Venezuelan authorities to deliver 10,000 body bags.
“That is the assumption. It is very sad,” Rampolla admitted. He added that the exact number of missing people has not yet been determined. The United Nations had previously estimated that more than 50,000 people were missing.
Independent Venezuelan news outlet Efecto Cocuyo, citing eyewitnesses, reported that hundreds of victims’ bodies are being stored in refrigerated containers at the port of La Guaira because the morgue at the local hospital is “completely overwhelmed.” According to the outlet, conditions at the port are also critical, with more than 100 bodies lying on the ground as of Monday.
Commentators emphasize that the disaster struck a country already struggling with a deep crisis. Years of economic collapse and authoritarian rule have severely weakened the healthcare system and the country’s ability to respond to natural disasters.
Public frustration is growing over the authorities’ response to the catastrophe and the slow pace of state rescue efforts. Residents of the earthquake-hit areas complained about the lack of government assistance and the absence of heavy equipment. Media outlets reported cases of people clearing rubble with their bare hands. There have also been reports that the authorities obstructed humanitarian relief efforts and interfered with journalists’ work.
On Monday, the Venezuelan National Press Workers’ Union (SNTP) criticized the regime’s decision to suspend foreign correspondents’ access to La Guaira state for 48 hours. The authorities justified the measure on sanitary grounds and the need to maintain silence during rescue operations. SNTP argued, however, that “preventing reporting from the disaster zone will not solve the crisis.”
More than 2,000 rescuers from numerous countries have arrived in Venezuela following the earthquakes. None came from Poland. Despite their willingness to help, some international teams were unable to reach the disaster zone. On Monday, the Austrian aid organization Samariterbund announced that a joint German-Austrian rescue team had already arrived at the airport near Hanover and was ready to depart aboard a Bundeswehr aircraft, but Venezuelan authorities denied the team permission to enter the country.