The death toll from the earthquake in Venezuela has risen to 3,342. Hundreds of bodies have yet to be identified

The death toll from the powerful earthquake in Venezuela has risen to 3,342, with 16,740 people injured. The authorities have begun to bury hundreds of unidentified bodies that have not been identified 11 days after the disaster.

The latest information released by the authorities on Sunday (July 5th) stated that 6,462 people had been rescued and another 173,450 had been displaced.

According to the latest information, since the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes occurred on June 24th, Venezuela has recorded 995 aftershocks. The region that was most severely affected was the La Guaira state, which is adjacent to Caracas.

Nearly 200 buildings completely collapsed, leaving over 17,000 people homeless and forcing them to live in shelters and temporary camps. The government has not yet announced the number of missing persons, but the United Nations estimates that there could be as many as 50,000 people unaccounted for.

Earlier on Sunday, during a speech commemorating the 215th anniversary of Venezuela's independence, interim President Rodriguez defended the government's response measures after the earthquake. Previously, many people had expressed dissatisfaction with the government's slow and inadequate response to the disaster.

Rodriguez said that she had immediately deployed security forces and announced the establishment of a new military unit to assist in responding to emergencies and disasters.

She also said, "There won't be any social unrest here. What we have here is a profound sense of social unity."

As the international rescue teams withdrew and stopped searching for survivors, people's attention turned to mourning the deceased and burying the remains of the family members found in the ruins.

According to Agence France-Presse, in a secluded corner of the La Esparanza Cemetery in La Guaira, more than 150 unidentified bodies from the earthquake have been buried.

A row of simple white crosses, with small bunches of flowers placed at the bottom, marks a long row of individual graves. The date of death for each victim was the same: June 24, 2026.

Two excavators are digging more graves in the light brown soil.

Local resident Zawala is helping to bury the deceased. He said, "We felt an overwhelming sense of grief at first. We started working here on June 25th, the very next day... To ensure that all the victims receive a dignified burial."

Many families are still searching for their loved ones in the ruins. While looking for her son in the Katia Ramal area, Zoila said, "I've completely forgotten the date. Everyone is almost going crazy, but I won't leave here because I know he's still there."

She said, "I found his motorcycle and his helmet. He must still be alive. God bless. If he didn't survive, at least I could still find him and see him... Without a son, I would never leave this place."

Before the earthquake, Venezuela had been suffering from economic crisis and political unrest for a long time, with severely inadequate infrastructure and medical services.

The United Nations estimates that the damage caused by the earthquake was as high as 6.7 billion US dollars, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's GDP.

The damaged international airport in Caracas has still not resumed commercial flights to this day.