International search and rescue teams are preparing to leave as heavy machinery continues clearing mountains of debris left behind by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24 June.
For Raúl Alvarado, however, the search is not over.
His mother, father and older sister remain buried beneath the ruins of the 16-storey ELE 26 apartment building in Caravalleda, one of the areas worst hit by the twin earthquakes.
The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes struck just 39 seconds apart, causing widespread destruction.
Hope fades as death toll rises
Alvarado’s third-floor apartment is now at eye level, reduced to rubble beneath twisted blocks of concrete.
The provisional official death toll has exceeded 3,500, while tens of thousands of people remain missing.
Twelve days after the disaster, rescue operations continue for many families, although their remaining hope is now largely focused on recovering the bodies of their loved ones.
Search teams work among collapsed buildings
Heavy machinery has already removed parts of the ELE building, while volunteers and relatives continue searching through debris by hand.
The last time Alvarado saw his family was from a neighbouring apartment. They were “together, hugging each other” after the first earthquake.
The second, stronger quake caused the building to collapse.
“The building was full of people. My neighbour had five small children – they are all down there,” said the 31-year-old.
Among the rubble, rescuers can still see household items including microwaves, mattresses and beer cans.
Thousands remain missing
The United Nations estimates that up to 50,000 people may be missing following one of the worst disasters in Latin America’s recent history.
The interim government has avoided making estimates about the number of missing people.
The ELE housing complex was among around 200 buildings destroyed in the disaster.
Some buildings suffered only facade damage, while others collapsed completely, leaving behind enormous piles of concrete.
Rescue operations continue despite low chances
Dozens of families continue searching through the remains of buildings where their relatives once lived.
Volunteers and firefighters are digging through the rubble and creating small tunnels between concrete blocks to reach lower floors. Some are using generator-powered drills, while others wait in temporary shelters nearby.
Volunteer Alni Pacheco said he helped recover the bodies of 12 people trapped under the debris.
“Today we hope to find our first survivor,” he said, despite acknowledging that the chances of finding people alive have now become extremely low.
Online lists track missing people
Following the earthquakes, online databases were created to help families locate missing relatives.
One list titled “Missing from the Venezuela earthquake” contains more than 31,400 names, while another called “Venezuela is looking for you” records 18,200 missing people and includes 25,000 names of people who have been found.
Jens Laerke, deputy spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said the very high numbers reported online were credible.
He stressed that this does not mean all missing people are buried under rubble, but that the figures reflect the scale of the disaster and the desperation facing families.
Experts examine causes of destruction
Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s parliament, said drone images, lists and family testimonies showed that around 30,000 people were in the city of La Guaira when the disaster struck.
He said around 19,800 people managed to escape or were rescued.
Professor Katsuhiko Goda from Western University in Canada said the combination of two extremely powerful earthquakes occurring seconds apart, along with possible vulnerabilities in reinforced concrete buildings, may have contributed to the high death toll.
The first earthquake damaged or weakened structural columns, while the second caused floors to collapse one after another, making survival extremely difficult.
Goda told AFP that reinforced concrete collapses often create enormous debris piles that are extremely dangerous and difficult to search.
He added that “pancake-style” collapses can trap residents between compressed layers of floors, making rescue operations and victim identification almost impossible.
Families fear losing their loved ones forever
Daniela Alvarez, who is searching for her sister, nieces and brother-in-law, fears buildings will be demolished and debris removed before victims are recovered.
“How can they think about demolishing everything without knowing if there are still people underneath? Our families will be torn apart,” she said.
Standing in front of the ELE 27 ruins, Clemente Canizales continues hoping that the bodies of his son and grandson will be found.
“Many lives were lost here… How many people are still inside? We do not know,” he said.
Source: CNA
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