Peru confirms seven nationals missing and three dead in Venezuela due to earthquakes

Lima.- The Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this Friday that seven Peruvians have been reported missing and another three have died as a result of the earthquakes that occurred in Venezuela on June 24, which have left 2,645 dead and more than 12,600 injured to date.

The foreign ministry indicated that the search for the missing Peruvians continues in coordination with local authorities.

“Additionally, we regret the passing of three Peruvian citizens, which has been reported by their relatives,” the ministry added in a statement regarding assistance to Peruvians in Venezuela.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that, through the Interests Section in Caracas, assistance has been provided to thirteen Peruvians, including children, adults, mothers, and pregnant women, and that they are carrying out a priority deployment to provide humanitarian assistance to the family of a Peruvian minor.

Despite the inherent difficulties in a disaster zone and to the extent that circumstances allow, the Interests Section maintains access to La Guaira and continues to carry out assistance efforts for Peruvians in the area, the statement highlighted regarding one of the points of greatest devastation due to the earthquakes.

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Likewise, the ministry called on Peruvians in Caracas and their relatives to manage to contact the affected loved ones in some way and to be attentive to the official sources of the Venezuelan Government, which is also providing support to those affected.

The Foreign Ministry clarified that the humanitarian aid sent by the Government of Peru, as well as that of other governments, is delivered to the authorities of Venezuela, who distribute it according to the needs of the population and by prioritizing the areas most affected by the earthquakes.

The earthquakes from a week ago affected Caracas and six other states in the north of the country. The most affected region has been La Guaira, a coastal area that already experienced a tragedy due to a landslide in 1999 that left thousands dead.

Since the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, 890 aftershocks have also been recorded.

In addition to the victims reported by the Venezuelan authorities, there are 6,462 people rescued and 885 buildings affected, 189 of them totally collapsed, for which 59 temporary camps have been set up.

The double earthquake from a week ago is the deadliest Venezuela has experienced in the last century. Fifty-nine years earlier, in July 1967, an earthquake was recorded in the vicinity of Caracas in which 245 people died, thousands suffered injuries, and material damage was very extensive.