Venezuela.- The President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez, reported that 315 bodies remain unidentified following the earthquakes recorded on June 24, while explaining that the authorities have avoided offering a figure for missing persons so as not to rely on unconfirmed estimates.
During a press conference in Caracas, Rodríguez indicated that these bodies have not been identified because they were not recognized by relatives, nor was it possible to associate them through fingerprint records.
“As of yesterday, 315 people were unidentified, who could not be identified because they were neither recognized nor, upon capturing their fingerprint, could we associate them with an identification,” the official stated.
As explained, that amount represents approximately 7% of the total number of deaths reported by the Venezuelan authorities following the tragedy.
Rodríguez pointed out that the official toll so far amounts to 4,333 people dead as a result of the double earthquake, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, while nearly 18,000 people are estimated to have been left homeless.
The president of the National Assembly stated that the identification process is ongoing and that the authorities are continuing efforts to determine the identity of the victims not yet recognized.
Likewise, he justified the decision not to disclose a number of missing persons, considering that doing so without verified data could generate confusion and speculation in the midst of the emergency.
