Overview
- Two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24, with magnitudes of about 7.2 and 7.5 seconds apart and they have caused widespread collapse and loss of life.
- Provisional official counts list about 1,719 dead and more than 5,000 injured while the United Nations estimates roughly 50,000 people remain missing or unaccounted for.
- Satellite assessments indicate roughly 58,870 buildings were damaged or destroyed and the United Nations estimates about 1.2 million tonnes of debris with preliminary damage valued near $7 billion, about 6% of GDP.
- Local morgues and hospitals are saturated, large improvised morgues have been set up at the port of La Guaira, and many rescues have been carried out by residents using improvised tools because of shortages of equipment and organization.
- A coordinated international response is under way with more than 40 foreign search teams and over 2,000 rescuers, the United States increasing aid to $300 million and deploying naval and Marine assets, while WHO warns of heightened outbreak risk and fact-checkers have debunked misattributed viral footage.