VENEZUELAN authorities are still unable to identify 315 earthquake victims as recovery efforts continue following two devastating earthquakes that killed more than 4,300 people last month.
President of Venezuela's National Assembly Jorge Rodriguez said the identification process had been complicated by the absence of official records that could be used to match victims' identities.
"Until yesterday, there were 315 bodies that remained unidentified because their identities could not be confirmed.
"Even if fingerprints could be obtained, we would still be unable to match them with any form of identification," AFP reported him saying during a special media briefing on the latest disaster developments.
Rodriguez said the death toll from the two earthquakes on June 24 had risen to 4,333, with another 16,740 people injured. A total of 6,462 victims had been rescued, while 856 buildings were damaged and 190 others collapsed.
Authorities have established 94 temporary shelters housing 18,437 people, while 17,907 victims remain without permanent homes.
The government has also distributed 9,766 tonnes of food supplies and more than 16.6 million litres of water, while 31,193 patients have received medical treatment. Official figures showed that 86,794 families had received assistance following the disaster.
President Delcy Rodriguez is expected to hand over the first 200 housing units to displaced victims next week as part of ongoing reconstruction efforts.
The earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck Venezuela on June 24 just 39 seconds apart, causing widespread destruction and triggering a large-scale humanitarian response. - July 12, 2026
