CNN correspondent shows region most affected by tremors in Venezuela
Venezuelan authorities confirmed, this Saturday (4), that the death toll from the earthquakes rose to 2,645. La Guaira, one of the states hardest hit by the tremors, is home to scenes of intense destruction, with teams still working to identify hundreds of victims' bodies.
Correspondent Daniella Zambrano, who is following the situation on the ground, broadcast live details about the devastating scenario faced by the population of the region.
Port of La Guaira functions as an improvised morgue
The port of La Guaira was authorized by the authorities to function as a morgue following the collapse caused by the high number of deaths. According to Daniella Zambrano, identification teams are working at the location, with the presence of the prosecutor's office and authorities from the National Electoral Registration Council, responsible for collecting data and information so that families can remove the bodies of their loved ones.
The identification process, however, has proven to be uneven. "Family members said that the process has been very quick for some, but others have to wait up to three days, because they are being asked for documents that they do not have, as they lost them due to the catastrophe", reported the correspondent.
Victims still under rubble and in need of heavy machinery
The situation remains critical in La Guaira. There are people still buried under the rubble, and their families have not been able to recover their bodies. Daniella Zambrano highlighted that the use of heavy machinery is urgent to move the wreckage and make the rescue possible. "Heavy machinery is still very necessary to be able to move the rubble and recover these bodies," he said.
Until the day before the broadcast, there were records of people rescued alive after being buried for eight days. Part of the humanitarian aid had already returned to its countries of origin, but rescue teams from several nations still remained in the field, collaborating in the search for survivors.
Reports contradict the official version of the authorities' response
While Delcy Rodríguez, in a press conference, stated that the authorities acted immediately after the tremors, the testimonies collected by the correspondent at the scene tell a different story. "We had to collect the bodies of our families alone with the help of our neighbors. The authorities didn't arrive at the place, it took too long, and if they had arrived sooner, the story would have been different. Many lives could have been saved", residents told the reporter, as she herself described in her live broadcast.
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Source: CNN