Venezuela Earthquake Aftermath: Thousands Still Searching for Missing Relatives

Caracas. A month has passed since two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela's northern coastal region. But the tragedy has not yet ended for thousands of families. Some are still searching for their missing relatives, while many have not even found the bodies of their loved ones. Along with that, the question of why the buildings collapsed, and whether there was negligence in construction, is also being continuously raised by the affected community.

For 49-year-old fisherman Victor Calderon, that day became the most painful day of his life. While he was fishing at sea for 18 consecutive days, he received news via radio that the building he lived in had collapsed. Upon returning to shore, he had to face the reality of losing 26 members of his family.

Among those he lost were sisters, their children and grandchildren, his stepfather, and nine were children of his aunts and uncles. The ages of the deceased ranged from two years to over 70 years.

Victor is still searching for his missing relatives. 'I haven't cried until all the missing are found,' he said emotionally. He is now living in a temporary tent with his daughter and granddaughter. The public residential building where they lived was completely destroyed.

According to government figures, more than 5,300 people have been confirmed dead in the earthquake so far, while more than 16,500 have been injured. Although the government has not released an official number of missing persons, it is estimated that the number could be in the tens of thousands.

Rescue operations are still ongoing in the hardest-hit Carayeda region. Recently, the bodies of three people, including an 11-year-old girl, were recovered from the debris. Her father, who had been searching for his daughter for a month, began to cry uncontrollably upon finding the body. Rescuers also stopped work for a while and offered a moment of silent prayer.

Majin Hernandez, a member of the rescue team, said that such scenes can mentally break even rescuers. 'This is a soul-shattering experience for families, friends, and the rescue team alike,' he said.

Most of the international rescue teams that arrived to help after the earthquake have returned to their countries. Since then, many families have been forced to dig through the rubble with their own efforts to find their relatives.

This situation has also increased public anger towards the government. The affected people are mainly raising questions like, why did 10 out of 12 residential buildings collapse? Were there flaws in the building design? Were substandard materials used in construction? Was there negligence somewhere?

However, Public Works Minister Juan Jose Ramirez has denied these allegations. According to him, the intensity of the earthquake itself was extraordinary. 'Two powerful earthquakes coming from different directions almost simultaneously would have been a big challenge for any country,' he said. He claimed that since public as well as private buildings were equally destroyed, it was not possible to blame any specific construction.

Another poignant story was seen in the Catia La Mar area. Security guard Hernan Gil, trapped in a parking area, was rescued alive eight days after the earthquake. That incident sparked hope across the country for a while.

But now, in the same building, Laura Barrios is searching for her son-in-law's body. A few days ago, the bodies of her sister-in-law and two children, aged three and 10, were found in the same room. 'Children's Day has come, but there are no children left in our family,' she said, shedding tears.

She expressed dissatisfaction with the government, citing delays in rescue efforts. After the heavy equipment used to clear the debris was also moved to another location, they were forced to search again on their own.

Various humanitarian organizations are active in providing food and drinking water to the earthquake victims. But many families are still living in simple tents pitched on the roadside.

The government has stated that it has provided new homes to 200 families so far. But the actual need is estimated to be more than a hundred times that. According to the World Bank, these two earthquakes caused damage worth approximately 19.6 billion US dollars. Reconstruction is expected to take years and require billions of dollars in investment.