A father gently holding his daughter’s hand as she wore a fairy costume. A 24-year-old man dressed in a pilot’s uniform, gazing confidently at the camera. A family wrapped in each other’s arms on a soccer field.
These are just some of the photos being shared online by relatives — both inside Venezuela and living abroad — who are desperately trying to locate family members who have gone silent following two devastating earthquakes that struck the country Wednesday night.
Health Minister Carlos Alvarado announced late Thursday that the death toll had climbed to approximately 235, with more than 4,300 people reported injured. The number of victims is expected to continue rising after the two quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, caused widespread destruction — making them among the most powerful earthquakes to hit Venezuela in over a century.
Because communication networks have been severely disrupted, many Venezuelans are relying on social media platforms and online registries to gather information that the government has not provided. Independent registries tracking the missing have documented as many as 40,000 people — a number that dwarfs the official government count.
While some survivors rushed to dig through the wreckage of collapsed buildings, others turned to digital tools, creating flyers on WhatsApp, Facebook, and X listing the names and faces of their missing relatives.
One of those people is Vanesa Marcano, 31, who posted photos from Madrid of her uncle and aunt, who reside in La Guaira state, north of the capital Caracas — an area that suffered some of the worst damage and loss of life. Marcano shared the images hoping the couple was simply unreachable because of downed communication lines. Her uncle’s daughter and his 7-year-old grandson, who were visiting from the United States, are also among the missing.
