‘Venezuelans are deeply sad, but deeply angry as well’ after earthquake toll rises to more than 2,200

A Cork-based Venezuelan woman has spoken emotionally about the heartbreaking situation in her homeland in the aftermath of the strongest earthquakes to hit in the South American nation in over a century.

On June 24, two earthquakes struck north central Venezuela, less than a minute apart, causing widespread devastation near the capital Caracas.

The death toll from the disaster has risen above 2,200, with the UN warning the figure could rise much higher, with thousands injured and more than 40,000 people still unaccounted for.

The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, damaged homes, hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure, leaving thousands of families in urgent need of assistance.

Disease is also spreading across the disaster zone, with aid groups warning the country’s fragile healthcare system, further weakened by the earthquakes, is at breaking point.

Gaby O’Connor, who is married to a Cork man and has been living in Douglas for the past six years, told The Echo that her uncle and cousin lost their lives in the earthquake.

She has been in contact with family in Venezuela, and spoke about just how difficult the situation is there.

She said: “It was a nightmare to be honest. Basically, you feel hopeless, you feel kind of useless as well because you can do nothing. It has been hard to try to live your life normal here, trying to go through that situation.

“Knowing that your family is lost there, you are here and you have to keep going with your life.

“I woke up in the middle of the night and the first thing I wanted to check was my phone. I saw around 80 messages from my family. Everybody was checking in. But the only two that didn’t answer were my uncle and my cousin.”

Ms O’Connor said she felt the Venezuelan government emergency response to the earthquake should have been quicker and more impactful: “It is a national feeling. I have lots of friends that lost their families, and many other are still looking for their families.

“The response of the government was extremely late. I think Venezuelans are deeply sad, but we are deeply angry as well.”

As the initial search and rescue missions turn more towards recovery, Ms O’Connor said she fears the death toll could reach much higher: “I don’t know the numbers. But it happened in areas that were very busy. So, I think it is going to be massive.”