Morgues Effectively Paralyzed; Acting President Heckled Over Delayed Response

According to foreign media reports including The Guardian on June 28 (local time), the morgues in Caracas have been effectively paralyzed as the death toll from the series of powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has reached at least 1,450, with tens of thousands still missing.

Bodies of victims are being continuously brought in on motorcycles, passenger cars, and in the beds of pickup trucks, and the area in front of the morgue is packed with people trying to identify their loved ones for the last time.

Edgar Hernandez, former president of the National Funeral Association of Venezuela, stated that funeral homes across the country are donating around 200 coffins and body bags for the recovery of the deceased.

He explained that as the morgue in La Guaira, where earthquake damage is concentrated, is unable to handle the influx of bodies, many citizens are loading them into private vehicles and transporting them to the Bello Monte morgue in Caracas, which is relatively more accessible and less congested.

Emergency rescue workers are continuing desperate searches through the rubble of collapsed buildings to save even one more survivor.

Despite extreme shortages of equipment and widespread chaos, dramatic news of survival is occasionally emerging from some rescue sites.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez expressed her gratitude to foreign rescue workers during a live TV broadcast on June 27, stating, "We rescued 33 survivors today," and emphasized the progress of the rescue operations.

Acting President Rodriguez shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) of an 11-year-old boy being dramatically rescued from the rubble in Caraballeda, writing, "Every life is a source of hope for Venezuela."

However, criticism is growing on the ground regarding the government's delayed response to the large-scale disaster.

When Acting President Rodriguez visited the affected area, she was met with jeers from residents who shouted, "The government does nothing for the people."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.