Demolition complicates the search for bodies after Venezuela’s earthquakes

What the report says

Venezuela is demolishing unstable structures after the June 24 earthquakes, but the cleanup is complicating the search for people still missing under the rubble, according to Al Jazeera. The report focuses on La Guaira, where families, volunteers and rescue workers are still trying to recover bodies from collapsed housing complexes, including OPPE 27 in Caraballeda and OPPE 33 nearby. One survivor, Glenda Viloria, said several relatives died in the collapse and that she is still searching for her three-year-old nephew. She has been living near the ruins while teams remove debris and, in some cases, use heavy machinery and controlled demolitions to bring down unsafe buildings.

Al Jazeera said the first controlled explosion took place on July 30 in Catia La Mar after experts judged a tower at risk of collapse. Rescue workers told the outlet that demolition can be necessary when buildings are too dangerous or too unstable to access safely, but they also said it can make recovery harder when the remains of victims are still inside. Teams sometimes stop work and continue body recovery by hand once possible remains are found.

The article also places the effort in a wider recovery context. The Venezuelan government has launched a reconstruction plan called Venezuela Renace, while the World Bank has estimated the earthquakes caused nearly $19.6bn in physical damage. The government says thousands of people are in temporary camps, but families interviewed by Al Jazeera described frustration with the pace of rescue and recovery and worry that clearing sites too quickly could erase clues needed to find loved ones.