At Least 22 Dead, Dozens Missing in Venezuela Landslides After Unusually Heavy Rains

Anna Lazarus Caplan
·2 min read
At Least 22 Dead, Dozens Missing in Venezuela Landslides After Unusually Heavy Rains
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Landslides and heavy rains have killed at least 22 people from a single town in north-central Venezuela, authorities said Sunday. A further 52 are missing.

The incident happened in the town of Las Tejerías about 40 miles from the capital Caracas, per The New York Times and multiple outlets.

Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed the tragic death toll in a news conference Sunday, adding "We have lost children, girls, all very regrettable," per The New York Times.

"There was a large landslide in the central area of Las Tejerías" where five streams overflowed, said Rodríguez, according to Associated Press. "We have already found 22 dead people; there are more than 52 missing."

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People carry belongings after the losses they suffered in the rains and overflow of the Los Patos ravine (river) in Tejerias, Aragua state, Venezuela, 09 October 2022
People carry belongings after the losses they suffered in the rains and overflow of the Los Patos ravine (river) in Tejerias, Aragua state, Venezuela, 09 October 2022

Rayner Pena R/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

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The tragedy occurred after heavy rain started falling on Saturday afternoon and continued throughout the night. According to the Red Cross in Aragua State, around 20,000 homes across the Santos Michelena municipality are affected, with cellphone service and electricity almost completely wiped out.

Residents search for their missing relatives in the rubble of a house destroyed by a landslide during heavy rains in Las Tejerias, Aragua state, Venezuela, on October 9, 2022
Residents search for their missing relatives in the rubble of a house destroyed by a landslide during heavy rains in Las Tejerias, Aragua state, Venezuela, on October 9, 2022

YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images

On Monday, Venezuelan authorities sent drones and canines to the impacted area, according to Major Gen. Carlos Pérez Ampueda, the vice minister for risk management and civil protection, per AP.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro tweeted pictures of the damage on Monday, one day after he declared it a disaster zone and announced three days of national mourning.

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Rodriguez also pledged that the government would provide shelter for families, and support for businesses and farmers impacted by the landslides.

The region is just one of 11 Venezuela states to have suffered an unusually heavy rainy season, reported AP, with 20,000 officials, including rescue workers, being deployed to the affected areas.

"The effects of the climate crisis are causing this tragedy," Ms. Rodríguez said, per The New York Times.