LA GUAIRA, Venezuela, July 25, (v7n)– A false claim that three people had been found alive in the worst-hit city of La Guaira's OPP 26 housing complex spread rapidly across social media on Wednesday night, causing further anguish for families still searching for loved ones a month after the devastating twin earthquakes struck northern Venezuela.
The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude tremors on June 24 flattened buildings, killed over 5,000 people, injured nearly 17,000, and left more than 23,000 homeless in the coastal state of La Guaira. The United Nations estimates up to 50,000 people are still missing.
The disinformation made an already unbearable situation even worse for grieving relatives. Clinging to hope, some rushed to the site, only to be met with disappointment.
"They shouldn't be twisting that information, because it gives you hope, and you know those things are impossible," Naiti Sarria told AFP as she wiped away tears. Sarria has spent the past month searching for her 74-year-old mother-in-law, Olga Hernandez, who lived in one of OPP 26's 12-story buildings. "For God, nothing is impossible," she said, "but it's wrong to play with the feelings of the people who are here... It makes me sad."
Venezuela's civil protection agency issued a statement clarifying that "alleged rescues of survivors" at that address were "false," urging the public not to share unverified information.
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