A Montreal entrepreneur based in Venezuela considers himself lucky that his block of apartments did not collapse like dozens of others after the earthquakes that shook his part of the country on Wednesday.
“It was terrifying because it was not one, but two earthquakes,” says Carlos Burgues, his voice still filled with the emotion and nervousness of the moment.
The former McGill University student says he returned last December to live in Valencia, Venezuela, 60 kilometers from the epicenter of the strongest of the two earthquakes, in order to help his aging father.
On Wednesday evening, the country was hit by two powerful earthquakes, of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, followed by 20 aftershocks.
Carlos Burgues, his father, Ramon Burgues (left), his sister, Bárbara Burgues (center), and their two dogs, Mafalda and Valentina, escaped the worst in the double tremor that disrupted the country.
Photo provided by Carlos Burgues
When everything started to shake, the man, who still has a home in Montreal, tried to help his 83-year-old father, who had just undergone an operation.
Vases were destroyed at the home of Carlos Burgues.
Photo provided by Carlos Burgues
“It was frustrating, I couldn’t lift it,” adds the 33-year-old man who says he felt helpless.
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At least 188 dead
The Montrealer, his father and his sister nevertheless consider themselves lucky since the damage they suffered was only material, which is far from being the case for all Venezuelans.
Sections of walls in Carlos Burgues’ girlfriend’s building were demolished by the tremors.
Photo provided by Carlos Burgues
His girlfriend’s residence was also ravaged by the tremors. In the images she sent him, we see that many walls were cracked, making his home uninhabitable.
In the north of the country, scenes of devastation were clearly visible the day after the double earthquake. Buildings were flattened or collapsed. Distressed families were digging through mountains of debris to find their loved ones.
The stairs of Carlos Burgues’ girlfriend’s building were covered in fragments after the double earthquake.
Photo provided by Carlos Burgues
At press time, authorities reported at least 188 dead and more than 1,500 injured.
Dozens of collapsed buildings in La Guaira
Mr. Burgues’ family is also very worried since some of their relatives who live in La Guaira, one of the hardest hit towns, have not given any news since the events.
“I received information from a relative: their cars were in front of their building which collapsed,” saddens the young man, who fears that their bodies will be found under the debris.
“Dozens” of buildings collapsed in this city housing the airport which constitutes the main air gateway to Venezuela, according to the country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez reported by Reuters.
La Guaira was hit hard by the tremors.
Photo AFP
This is a sad observation which could be attributable to the mismanagement of the authorities, says Latin America specialist Gilles Baril.
“It was not the priority of the last governments to ensure that we had regulations to deal with this,” indicates the former PQ minister.
Mr. Baril is saddened to see difficulties accumulating in Venezuela for several years and believes that the establishment of a democratic system could help improve the situation.
Help from Canada
Many Venezuelans lent a helping hand in the aftermath of the double deadly earthquake to try to rescue their fellow citizens who remained trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
“Families have lost loved ones, communities have been torn apart, and many people are facing extremely difficult days, without shelter, without food and in uncertainty,” declared the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Anita Anand.
Venezuelans search for their loved ones in the rubble.
Photo AFP
“We are ready to support and contribute to humanitarian efforts as appropriate,” added Minister Anand.
“I thank all the countries that send aid, like Canada,” said Montreal entrepreneur Carlos Burgues.
– With AFP
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