Families in Venezuela Identify Dead Using Personal Belongings Inside Makeshift Morgues Amid Crisis

At a makeshift morgue in the earthquake-ravaged coastal city of La Guaira, grieving families are struggling to identify loved ones among dozens of bodies laid out in body bags, as forensic teams work under difficult conditions following one of the deadliest seismic disasters to hit Venezuela in recent years. The region was devastated after two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck in quick succession, flattening entire neighbourhoods near the Caribbean coast. The twin tremors caused widespread destruction across La Guaira and surrounding areas near Caracas, reducing homes, schools, and commercial buildings to rubble and overwhelming emergency response systems.

With the official death toll surpassing 1,700, hospital morgues quickly reached capacity, forcing authorities to convert parts of a dock area into a temporary mortuary. Rows of bodies were placed in bags under open air conditions, with forensic experts in protective gear attempting to document, identify, and process the deceased. In an effort to manage decomposition in the tropical heat, some bodies were reportedly treated with lime, while coffins and urns were arranged nearby for eventual cremation.

Families have been arriving in large numbers to search for missing relatives, many carrying photographs or personal belongings in hopes of identifying the dead. One grieving resident, 25-year-old Wilker Molalla, said he was told that multiple members of his family were among the victims. He described losing nearly his entire immediate family in the disaster, saying that out of 11 relatives, only he and one brother survived. Survivors recounted how they were at work when the earthquakes struck, leaving them unable to reach collapsing residential buildings in time.

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At the makeshift facility, forensic teams and doctors worked beneath temporary tarpaulins supported by poles, examining bodies and issuing death certificates and cremation authorisations where identification was possible. Officials also deployed waste disposal units to manage medical and autopsy-related materials as the scale of fatalities overwhelmed standard infrastructure. Amid the chaos and grief, families have also voiced frustration over the state’s disaster response, with some residents claiming they were forced to search through rubble with their bare hands in the immediate aftermath of the quakes.

Many described long delays in rescue operations and limited communication during the critical early hours. Among the mourners was 41-year-old cook Antony Marcano, who said he spent an entire day searching for his daughter without success before being directed to the morgue. He urged other families to remain strong as they began the painful process of identifying victims, with some relying on small personal details—such as jewellery or clothing—to confirm identities. In one case, a victim was reportedly identified through a ring, underscoring the heartbreaking and often fragmented nature of identification in the aftermath of the disaster.

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