Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Sunday, June 28, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez provided an updated official report and assessment following the two devastating earthquakes that shook the north-central region of Venezuela last Wednesday. The initial seismic events have been followed by 512 aftershocks so far.
Surprisingly, the confirmed death toll grew by only 20 victims since the previous report. Analysts believe this modest increase may be due to data processing lags that delayed the consolidation of casualty figures, as local and international experts expect the final death toll to rise further as search efforts continue.
The most relevant facts and statistics released by the top Chavista official during his Sunday briefing, as reported by Alba Ciudad, include:
• Casualties and displacement: 1,450 deaths, 3,150 injured, and 12,721 displaced individuals.
• Infrastructure damage: 774 buildings have collapsed, including 189 total collapses and 585 with partial damage. The disaster also affected 38 hospitals, 44 shopping centers, and 1,645 other structures, including bridges and roads.
• Humanitarian aid distribution: 73,937 families have been assisted, with 7,225,000 kilograms of food distributed, including 20,000 food bags delivered directly in La Guaira and 222,147 hot meals served.
• Medical response: A total of 12,049 people have received medical care. This includes 4,200 individuals who received direct medical assistance and 7,168 who passed through triage centers in La Guaira, Caracas, Valencia, and Maracay. Additionally, 527 injured or affected individuals were transferred to hospitals or private clinics in Caracas.
The parliamentarian noted that 2,624 foreign rescuers are currently active in Venezuela. The international teams brought 137 rescue dogs, which have proven invaluable to the operations, along with 49 support vehicles and 84.4 tons of equipment and medicine. The lawmaker emphasized that there has been no political or geographical discrimination of any kind in the deployment and treatment of international personnel.
Meanwhile, the volunteer registration system at the Poliedro de Caracas has worked perfectly to maintain order regarding access to La Guaira state. A total of 7,876 people have registered, received their safe-conduct passes, and joined organized transfers to the affected coastal state.
Psychological support and missing person tracking
Rodríguez reported that, starting Sunday, the hotline 0800-AYUDA-01 is fully operational to provide psychological support to citizens in need. Additionally, the government enabled the website localizapacientes.com, allowing users to enter the name and ID number of missing relatives to verify if they are currently admitted to any health institution nationwide.
Regarding missing persons registries, mainstream private news corporations have utilized a couple of unofficial websites lacking reliable databases or verification procedures to report overdimensioned figures. Analysts claim these inflated numbers distort the public perception of the disaster’s true scope.
In response, the Venezuelan government began using the Patria System on Friday to conduct a more rigorous evaluation of missing persons and damaged infrastructure, addressing two of the primary concerns for residents in the hardest-hit areas.
Web platforms like Venezuelareporta.org and Desaparecidosterremotosvenezuela.com have been widely cited by international media outlets. Analysts point out that while such grassroots initiatives should be applauded as useful citizen tools, they lack the necessary infrastructure to properly collect and verify data, meaning they cannot be treated as official or reliable statistical references.
Habitability commissions and utility restoration
Later on Sunday, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced the creation of the Presidential Commission for the Evaluation of the Habitability of Homes Affected by the June 24 Earthquakes. Chaired by Francisco Garcés, the commission includes representatives from various ministries, the Corps of Engineers, the Chamber of Construction, the Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research (Funvisis), and several universities, working in close coordination with local governors and mayors. “There is a lot of fear among those whose homes were impacted,” the acting president explained.
Rodríguez also announced the establishment of a specialized general staff tasked with setting up temporary camps for displaced citizens and planning the rapid construction of replacement housing. This body will be chaired by Jorge Rodríguez, with Héctor Rodríguez serving as executive secretary, and will incorporate personnel from multiple ministries.
Finally, the acting president informed the public that school classes will remain suspended for another week nationwide. She concluded with an update on basic services in the hard-hit state of La Guaira, noting that electricity has been restored to 75% capacity, water services to 68%, and local roads to 90%, as technical crews continue working around the clock toward full recovery.
Mass transit systems resume operations
The Caracas Metro, the Valencia Metro, the Maracaibo Metro, and the Tuy Valley Railway resumed operations on Sunday, while the Los Teques Metro remains closed, according to the Ministry for Transportation.
Venezuela Reports 243 People Rescued in la Guaira Following a Double Earthquake.
“We have been given authorization, after presenting a thorough analysis of the entire situational diagnosis of the Caracas, Valencia, and Maracaibo Metro systems, to resume operations,” Transport Minister Jacqueline Faría announced on Saturday. She emphasized that authorities are focused on guaranteeing public safety, which is why crews conducted an exhaustive evaluation “rail by rail, including all tunnels, the automated system of the Operations Control Center (CCO), and the overall operation of the networks.”
Faría noted that the Los Teques Metro will not yet reopen as technicians continue to address outstanding issues. “We have been addressing some issues, but there are still some to correct, so the Los Teques Metro remains out of service,” she explained.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
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