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The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela has climbed to 3,535, while more than 16,700 people have been injured, according to updated official figures released on Monday.
The devastating earthquakes, which struck on June 24, flattened entire neighbourhoods in La Guaira State, north of the capital, Caracas, leaving widespread destruction and thousands of people still unaccounted for.
Authorities said 16,740 people sustained injuries in the disaster, while more than 17,000 residents have been displaced from their homes.
Although the Venezuelan government has not released an official figure for those still missing beneath the rubble, the United Nations estimates that up to 50,000 people may remain unaccounted for.
Many survivors are currently living in temporary shelters set up on streets, in public parks and parking lots as relief efforts continue.
With hopes of finding more survivors fading, emergency operations have shifted from rescue efforts to recovering bodies, clearing debris and supporting displaced residents. Several international search-and-rescue teams have also begun withdrawing from the country after completing their missions.
Families continue searching for missing relatives in the hope of recovering their remains for burial.
On Sunday, authorities began burying dozens of unidentified victims in a mass grave at La Esperanza Cemetery in La Guaira.
Rows of simple white crosses, each decorated with a small bouquet of flowers, now mark individual graves bearing the same date of death — June 24, 2026 — serving as a sombre reminder of one of Venezuela’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history.
