Venezuelan authorities began demolishing buildings that collapsed during last month’s double earthquake, using controlled explosions on a 12-storey tower in the coastal state of La Guaira, the area worst hit by the tremors. The first detonation took place on Thursday in Catia La Mar, a suburb of the capital Caracas, after military units blocked off several blocks and hoisted a red warning flag, according to local media reports.

Transport Minister Francisco Garcés, who is responsible for housing recovery, told a press conference two days earlier that “no structure will be demolished having mourners or people to recover.” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello later said the implosion was carried out “exactly as planned” and that the building’s dangerous tilt had made further search impossible. “Once the building falls, these tasks [of recovering bodies] resume,” he told state television. Residents described the blast as “too strong” and said they had been informed in advance.

The official death toll stood at 5,546 as of July 24, according to the latest government figures, but authorities continue to recover bodies from the rubble. The government has avoided discussing the number of missing persons, though a diplomatic source and independent experts estimate the figure could be around 10,000, according to press reports. The earthquakes, of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck on June 24, destroying 190 buildings and damaging 856 others, officials said.

The World Bank estimates material damage at approximately $19.5 billion, while a separate assessment by the United Nations puts direct physical damage at $37 billion. On Wednesday, acting President Delcy Rodríguez launched a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) with the UN, a 60-day evaluation of nine socioeconomic sectors in the most affected regions. The investigation into the full human and economic toll remains ongoing.