Venezuela buries over 150 unidentified earthquake victims as death toll climbs to 3,342

Authorities in Venezuela buried more than 150 unidentified victims of the country's devastating twin earthquakes on Sunday as the official death toll rose to at least 3,342, with thousands still missing and recovery efforts shifting from rescue to mourning.

Workers buried more than 150 unidentified bodies in individual graves at La Esperanza cemetery in La Guaira, one of the areas worst affected by the June 24 earthquakes.

The secluded section of the cemetery was marked by a long line of simple white crosses, each accompanied by a small bouquet and bearing the same date of death, June 24, 2026.

Two excavators continued preparing additional burial sites in the light brown earth.

"We are first and foremost overcome with grief," said local resident Eli Zavala, who was helping with the burials.

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"We started here on July 25th, the very next day, to do all the work...so that all those people could have dignified burials."

Death toll continues to rise

The two powerful earthquakes have now claimed at least 3,342 lives and injured more than 16,700 people, according to updated official figures released on Sunday.

The disaster, among the worst earthquake tragedies in Latin America, devastated the coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas, where scores of buildings collapsed.

Nearly 200 buildings were completely destroyed, leaving more than 17,000 people homeless and forcing them to stay in shelters and temporary camps.

The government has not released an official figure for those still missing, although the United Nations estimates that as many as 50,000 people remain unaccounted for.

Many families continue searching through the rubble for missing relatives.

"I've lost track of the days. You lose your mind, but I'm not leaving here because I know he's there," said Zuly, who has been searching for her son in the Catia la Mar district.

She has been sleeping in a nearby plaza close to where he worked.

"I found his motorcycle, I found his helmet. He's there, God willing, alive. If not, at least I can find him, see him...I'm not leaving here without my son."

Government rejects fears of unrest

Even before the earthquakes, Venezuela had been facing years of economic crisis and political instability that weakened its infrastructure and health services.

The United Nations estimates the disaster caused $6.7 billion in damage, equivalent to six percent of Venezuela's GDP.

The international airport serving Caracas remains closed to commercial flights following damage caused by the earthquakes.

In the days after the disaster, many residents criticised the government's response, saying families were forced to search for loved ones on their own before international rescue teams arrived.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez defended the government's actions, saying thousands of rescue workers and public officials had been deployed.

"There will be no social unrest here, what we have here is deep social solidarity," Rodriguez said during a military ceremony marking the country's independence day.

Nation mourns the victims

Across Caracas and La Guaira, people gathered in churches and public spaces on Sunday to remember those who died and those still missing.

At Venezuela Central University in Caracas, dozens attended a candlelight vigil around a large Venezuelan flag.

"I've met with couples who have lost both their children, or two of their three. It's very painful," Father Rafael Troconis told AFP in La Guaira.

"You try to offer support as much as you can. You want to be close to those who are suffering. You notice a lot of sadness and despair."