{"id":1391,"date":"2026-07-03T05:37:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T05:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1391"},"modified":"2026-07-03T05:37:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T05:37:27","slug":"a-push-to-identify-bodies-as-deaths-multiply-in-venezuela-after-twin-earthquakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1391","title":{"rendered":"A push to identify bodies as deaths multiply in Venezuela after twin earthquakes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) \u2014 Speaking in a hushed voice, Rosa L\u00f3pez recalled how she had to sidestep the rows of bodies lying under a harsh sun as she helped her daughter search for her missing husband. Even her years working as a nurse did not prepare her for the sight of the dozens of dead wrapped in sheets or blankets.<\/p>\n

Read more Venezuela\u2019s interim leader angrily defends earthquake response<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe saw a lot of bodies that had not yet been identified,\u201d L\u00f3pez said.<\/p>\n

The rush is on across La Guaira, the state on Venezuela\u2019s<\/span> northern coast hardest hit by the powerful back-to-back June 24 earthquakes, to identify loved ones before it\u2019s too late. With at least 2,295 people killed<\/span>, Venezuela is overwhelmed with bodies that officials are struggling to collect, identify and preserve for loved ones to claim. Thousands are still missing.<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Antonio Toledo, L\u00f3pez\u2019s 25-year-old son-in-law, was found under the building where he was working as a security guard when the quakes struck. Crews took his body to a local hospital, where staff turned them away because there was no space. It was sent to another facility and eventually transferred to an open parking lot.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

A forensic doctor helped the family find him days later, on Saturday. But once they identified his body, they didn\u2019t know what to do with it because they couldn\u2019t afford the $450 that a funeral home was charging.<\/p>\n

At almost midnight on Saturday, L\u00f3pez got word that the mayor\u2019s office was offering them a free space at a local cemetery, but they had to move quickly to not lose the spot. An hour later, L\u00f3pez and her daughter trudged up a hill leading to the cemetery and buried Toledo.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cHe was an exemplary person, a boy who liked helping people,\u201d L\u00f3pez said.<\/p>\n

They saved him from a mass grave that many fear is coming as they search for the bodies<\/span> of their loved ones.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The number of bodies found is expected to soar<\/h2>\n

Forensic technician Joel Mirabal has worked for seven days straight since the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The 45-year-old estimates that in 60%-70% of cases, there\u2019s a relative or neighbor available to identify a body when he comes to pick it up. Even so, it\u2019s a struggle, he said, with many relying on tattoos, scars or familiar clothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t look even 10% like what they were in real life,\u201d he said of the victims.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n
\nSign up for Morning Wire:<\/strong>
\n Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.\n <\/div>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n