Residents of Venezuela have been evacuated from their homes following powerful earthquakes and continue to remain on duty at their apartments, waiting for expert reports on the condition of buildings. Many structures sustained serious damage, and residents are currently prohibited from returning inside.
“We are on duty here and watching the building because we have been evacuated,” said a resident. “We are not allowed to return to the apartments as the building has suffered serious damage, possibly even structural damage. We are currently waiting for the expert opinion, but that is all we know so far. We joined forces with our neighbors because we understand that rescuers, firefighters, police, and city services are all currently engaged in larger-scale tasks and rescuing people.”
Another resident described being on the fifth floor with her husband and two children at the time of the earthquake. During a second tremor, she reported feeling as though the house might collapse. After evacuation, the family descended to find an almost completely destroyed building.
Huang, a volunteer, stated that four victims had been removed from the rubble near the Obelisco building, with two additional individuals found alive. He added that the victims are in intensive care units and rescuers are continuing search operations.
“At this moment, we are extracting two more bodies — two dead women,” he said. “The search and rescue operation continues. We hope to find more survivors of this tragedy.”
Relatives and friends have arrived at the scene, attempting to locate loved ones but with no accurate information about victims yet. Rescue efforts have been ongoing since nightfall, with experts dismantling rubble and evacuating damaged vehicles.
“We hope that this earthquake will be the last in our lives and in the lives of future generations,” said a volunteer. “We’re still in shock right now. I’ve never encountered anything like this before.”
The earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, with the epicenter located 60 km northwest of Valencia and 28 km northeast of San Felipe. The magnitude was estimated at 7.5, making it the strongest earthquake in the country since 1900. According to the latest data, the death toll has risen to 235.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reported on June 25 that Russia is exploring humanitarian assistance for Venezuela following the disaster and maintaining contact with authorities and emergency services.
