The Chairman of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge, stated on the 29th that the recent strong earthquake in the country has resulted in 1,719 deaths and 5,034 injuries.
At a disaster briefing, he said that a total of 855 buildings across the country were damaged, of which 189 completely collapsed and 666 partially collapsed. In the hardest-hit La Guaira state, about 90% of electricity supply has been restored, and 15 large temporary shelters have been established.
He stated that rescue operations are still ongoing, with 3,319 foreign rescue personnel and 140 search and rescue dogs participating in the disaster relief.
Meanwhile, due to concerns that the death toll from the Venezuela earthquake could rise, the United Nations will provide 10,000 body bags.
At a video press conference on the 29th, the United Nations Coordinator in Venezuela, Rampolla, was asked about the number of people missing after the earthquake. He said, “I will not speculate on figures for missing persons that have not yet been officially released by the government.”
He said, “As 2,500 buildings were damaged—‘most of which completely collapsed’—I can give a reference point, which is that we will provide 10,000 body bags; this is what we have agreed with the authorities.”
He said, “This is truly heartbreaking, and we sincerely hope the death toll will be lower than this number.”
The United Nations estimates that about 50,000 people are missing after the earthquake. The affected population may be as high as 6.76 million.