Caracas, July 8 (EFE).- Recovery crews continued searching for bodies and clearing debris across Venezuela on Wednesday, two weeks after twin earthquakes killed at least 3,685 people and injured 16,740 others.
Wednesday also marks the end of a seven-day national mourning period declared by acting President Delcy Rodríguez in honor of the victims of the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck June 24.
A candlelight vigil is scheduled for 4 pm local time at El Cónsul Square in La Guaira state, the area hardest hit by the disaster. The coastal state has begun a gradual return to normal, with some small businesses reopening.
The earthquakes generated an estimated 1.2 million metric tons of debris in the worst-affected parts of La Guaira, according to a preliminary assessment released Jun. 29 by the UN Development Program.
The agency said about 915,000 metric tons came from damaged buildings, while another 332,000 metric tons consisted of household goods and residents’ personal belongings.
