Venezuela Begins Mass Burial of 1,700 Quake Victims as US Reopens Strategic Port for Relief

Venezuela has begun burying victims of last week's devastating twin earthquakes as rescue operations enter a critical phase, while the United States military has restored operations at a key seaport to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Five days after the powerful back-to-back earthquakes flattened communities across the country, authorities confirmed that at least 1,700 people have died, while about 5,000 others have been injured. Officials have yet to release an official figure for those still missing, although other estimates suggest the number could run into the tens of thousands.

The Port of La Guaira, one of the country's most important maritime gateways, resumed operations on Monday after emergency repairs carried out by the US military.

An AFP correspondent at the port reported that hundreds of unidentified bodies, placed in white and black body bags alongside several coffins, were being stored inside a temporary warehouse awaiting identification. The USS Fort Lauderdale was docked at the port, unloading humanitarian supplies.

Outside the makeshift morgue, distraught relatives waited anxiously for news of missing family members as forensic experts worked to identify victims.

Search-and-rescue teams continued combing through collapsed buildings and mountains of rubble in the worst-hit communities, although hopes of finding more survivors have diminished significantly.

US military personnel are also assisting in restoring operations at Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas, which sustained extensive damage during the disaster.

Adding to residents' fears, a 4.6-magnitude aftershock struck on Monday, sending fresh panic through affected communities.

International relief efforts expand

The Venezuelan government has tightened security around La Guaira, restricting access to the disaster zone through a permit system.

Frustration has grown among many residents, who accuse authorities of responding too slowly to the catastrophe in a country already grappling with prolonged economic hardship.

According to Gianluca Rampolla, the United Nations coordinator in Venezuela, 27 countries have deployed nearly 40 search-and-rescue teams, comprising more than 2,000 emergency personnel and over 160 search dogs.

Rampolla said the United Nations is also supplying 10,000 body bags to assist local authorities, although officials continue to hope the final death toll will be lower than feared.

While the internationally recognised 72-hour rescue window officially expired on Saturday evening, emergency workers continue searching for possible survivors.

One such miracle occurred on Monday when a 21-year-old man identified as Aaron Levi was rescued alive from the rubble in the coastal town of Tanaguarena, according to footage shared by a photographer who witnessed the operation.

The UN estimates that about seven million people will ultimately be affected by the disaster, with the earthquakes expected to inflict economic losses estimated at $6.7 billion, equivalent to roughly six per cent of Venezuela's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Families mourn loved ones

At Caracas main public cemetery, crematoriums are operating continuously as grieving families bury loved ones.

Officials said between 60 and 70 burials were conducted daily over the weekend.

Emotional scenes unfolded as mourners paid their final respects.

"It was a horrible experience," Sergio Vergara said after recovering the bodies of his nephew and several relatives from a collapsed apartment building.

Others are still waiting for confirmation of the fate of missing family members.

"My family is there , my sister, her children and my brother's children," Wilker Molalla said while awaiting identification of recovered remains.

"There were 11 people in my household; only two of us survived because we were at work."

Political tensions persist

The disaster has also reignited political tensions.

Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado accused the government led by interim president Delcy Rodríguez of preventing her return to Venezuela.

Machado, who has lived in exile since December after more than a year in hiding, said she remained determined to return.

"I am ready and close to Venezuela and will do whatever it takes for us to meet there," she said in a video posted on X.

The Venezuelan government has not responded to the allegation, while Washington has also declined to comment.

As rescue operations continue and humanitarian aid reaches affected communities, thousands of Venezuelan families remain uncertain about the fate of missing loved ones while the country begins the painful process of recovery from one of the deadliest natural disasters in its recent history.

AFP