Workers Dig Trenches at La Esperanza Cemetery for Unidentified Quake Victims

Workers used backhoes to dig trenches at La Esperanza cemetery in La Guaira on July 6. Reuters witnesses observed trucks and forensic workers transporting coffins while machinery operated in an open area marked by white crosses. The trenches will receive the remains of victims whose identities have not been established.

The cemetery lies in a remote area of the region that suffered the greatest damage from the June 24 earthquakes. The death toll from the earthquakes reached 3,535. Another 16,740 people were injured and 17,854 were left homeless.

Authorities are proceeding with burials of unidentified victims at the cemetery.