Twin Earthquakes Kill More Than 3,500 in Venezuela, Displacing Ottawa Family

Twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, killing more than 3,500 people with an unofficial tally of missing exceeding 30,000, Cbc reported. Both quakes hit the area where the parents of Ottawa resident Maria De Sousa live and severely damaged their home. Maria De Sousa has lived in Ottawa for the past two years after fleeing Venezuela a decade ago.

Her parents, Carlos and Neyda De Sousa, were visiting her in Canada when the quakes occurred. Her 94-year-old grandmother died after being struck in the head by a collapsing wall at the parents' home, and a cousin died when her apartment building collapsed. "That night was the worst for us," Maria De Sousa said.

Maria De Sousa added that she sometimes wakes up believing nothing happened and that her grandmother remains alive. Carlos and Neyda De Sousa have type 2 diabetes and brought only enough medication for the two months they planned to stay in Canada. They must now delay their return because of their age and the conditions in Venezuela, where the state lacks water and electricity and businesses remain closed or damaged.

The Canadian Red Cross mobilized medicine, medical equipment, beds, blankets and shelter kits from locations including Panama, said Kelsey Lemon, the agency's vice-president of international co-operation. Lemon noted extreme challenges from infrastructure disruption and ongoing road blockages that hinder access to remote communities.

The Ontario government did not respond to a request for comment on options for people who must remain in the province without access to medications.