Venezuela Mourns as Earthquake Claims Lives of Actress, Basketball Player, and College Student

Venezuela mourns as twin earthquakes struck the country on June 24, leaving a growing death toll and wide-ranging damage. Reported official figures from the Ministry of Communication and Information, cited by Noticiero Venevision, list 2,645 deaths and 12,666 injuries. The quakes, rated 7.5 and 7.2, occurred 39 seconds apart and affected Yaracuy and Carabobo, with grief spreading across sports, entertainment, and academia. Basketball player Gilberto Hernández, actress and TV host Yorgelis Delgado, and university student Vicky Chiquinquirá Urdaneta Leal were among those confirmed dead. Hernández, linked to Cocodrilos de Caracas in the SPB, died in La Guaira. Delgado’s body was found after the Coral Beach building collapse in Caraballeda, and her daughter and father were rescued. The broader crisis includes UN estimates of up to 50,000 missing and USGS projections of a final toll possibly between 10,000 and 100,000, alongside damages estimated at $6.7 billion.