Venezuela Earthquakes: 1,450 Dead, 500+ Aftershocks - Press Conference | United Nations

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More than 500 aftershocks have struck Venezuela since twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.5 and 7.2 hit last Wednesday, including a 5.2-magnitude tremor early Monday, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for the country said. Gianluca Rampolla del Tindaro, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Venezuela, briefed reporters in New York City virtually, saying authorities continue operating in a “high-risk environment” amid the ongoing seismic activity. Seven states have been affected, with La Guaira state and the Capital District of Caracas hit hardest, he said. As of the latest update Sunday night, 1,450 people had died, more than 3,000 were injured and over 12,000 displaced, according to government figures cited by Rampolla del Tindaro. He said the toll would “unavoidably and sadly keep on growing” as search-and-rescue operations continue. The government-led response remains focused primarily on search and rescue, he said. Although the response has passed the 72-hour window considered critical for finding survivors, rescuers continue pulling people from the rubble alive. “Yesterday alone, seven persons were pulled out of the rubble alive,” he said. Twenty-seven countries have mobilized more than 40 search-and-rescue teams, comprising over 2,000 personnel and more than 160 dogs, he said. At least 2,500 structures have been affected, most of them fully collapsed, he said, with humanitarian partners procuring 10,000 body bags as a contingency measure agreed with national authorities. “At least 2500 structures affected, most of which fully collapsed. So, we are definitely looking at a number that is higher than the one already reported. I can give you an approximate indicator - we are procuring (and this is something that has been agreed with the authorities here) 10,000 body bags,” he said.


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