Venezuela's crematoriums and morgues operate nonstop after deadly June earthquakes

A double earthquake struck Venezuela on 24 June, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, leaving at least 3,899 dead. In response, crematoriums in Caracas and La Guaira have been running 24 hours a day for more than two weeks, each capable of incinerating up to 300 bodies daily. The municipal cemetery of La Esperanza, near Catia la Mar, has been expanded to accommodate 2,000‑3,000 graves; about 600 bodies have already been buried there.

An improvised morgue at Los Silos, beside the port of La Guaira, remains open around the clock, holding dozens of body bags and hundreds of coffins while families and rescue teams work to identify the deceased. Volunteers provide meals to staff, and officials issue death certificates and burial or cremation permits on site. The number of newly recovered bodies has fallen from the early days of the disaster, but the facilities continue to operate continuously as recovery and identification efforts proceed.