B2June 29, 2026·2 min read·284 words·4 vocab words·Source: CBS News

Venezuela Earthquakes: Over 1,700 Confirmed Dead, Thousands Remain Missing Five Days Later

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Venezuela Earthquakes: Over 1,700 Confirmed Dead, Thousands Remain Missing Five Days Later
Photo: CBS News
In brief

Five days after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, rescue teams are still searching for survivors in the country. The confirmed death toll has already passed one thousand seven hundred, and thousands of residents remain missing. Reporting for CBS News, Camilo Montoya-Galvez highlighted the immense scale of this disaster. Although rescue operations continue under difficult conditions, officials fear that the casualties will rise. Rescue teams are waiting for updates on missing people as they coordinate their response efforts.

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Five days after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, rescue teams are still actively searching for survivors in the country. According to reports, the death toll has now exceeded 1700, and thousands of people are still missing. The reporter, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, stated on CBS News that the scale of the disaster was truly If the earthquakes had struck a different country, the rescue teams would have faced different challenges.

Although the confirmed are already high, officials fear that the final number will rise significantly. Many deaths were caused by the earthquakes, which occurred five days ago in various regions of Venezuela. Rescue operations are being carried out by dedicated teams who refuse to give up hope of finding survivors. Camilo Montoya-Galvez reported that officials had confirmed the deaths of more than 1700 individuals so far.

If the search teams had more information, they would be able to locate survivors much more quickly. Despite the difficulties of the ongoing situation, rescue workers continue to search for survivors in Venezuela. Thousands of local citizens remain missing, which means the rescue teams must continue their search operations. A CBS News broadcast highlighted that the disaster has left the country in urgent need of assistance.

If more survivors are not found soon, the tragedy will become one of the worst in history. The reporter explained that the earthquakes were deadly, the normal lives of the local population. It has been confirmed that over 1700 people died, but the exact number of missing remains unknown. Rescue teams will continue their search as long as they believe survivors can still be saved. The disaster, which has captured global attention, requires a response from both local and international authorities.

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Comprehension
Question 1 of 3

What is the third conditional statement used in the text to describe hypothetical challenges?

Grammar spotlight

Third Conditional

One point · B2

Use the third conditional to talk about hypothetical situations in the past that did not actually happen, and their imagined results.

From this article

If the earthquakes had struck a different country, the rescue teams would have faced different challenges.

What to know · B2

Use it today

Try saying this aloud

Neutral register

Scenario: Discussing the local and international response to a crisis.

  1. 01According to reports,
  2. 02The scale of the disaster was
  3. 03It requires a coordinated response.

Register tip · formal

🔑Key Phrases

actively searching for survivorsDiligently looking for people still alive.

Describes the intense, focused search operations in progress.

Adverb + present participle + preposition + noun

They are actively searching for survivors.

scale of the disaster was truly immenseThe size of the catastrophe was extremely large.

Highlights the reporter's estimation of the damage.

Noun + prepositional phrase + past simple copula + adverb + adjective

The scale of the disaster was truly immense.

If the earthquakes had struck a different countryHypothetically assuming the earthquakes hit another nation.

Uses third conditional for a past hypothetical situation.

If + past perfect verb + direct object

If the earthquakes had struck a different country, results would differ.

Rescue operations are being carried outSearch efforts are currently being conducted.

Shows ongoing action in the present passive voice.

Present continuous passive verb phrase

Rescue operations are being carried out now.

requires a coordinated response fromNeeds an organized action from different groups.

Demands cooperation among various organizations.

Verb + direct object + preposition

The event requires a coordinated response from everyone.

💬Discussion Questions

Open-ended questions to talk or write about — alone, with a partner, or in class.

  1. 1

    To what extent does the media sensationalize natural disasters for the sake of entertainment and ratings?

    Evaluate
  2. 2

    How does the public's emotional response to real disaster news compare to their enjoyment of cinematic disaster films?

    Compare
  3. 3

    What role should television personalities and entertainers play in mobilising relief funds during humanitarian crises?

    Evaluate
  4. 4

    If you were a screenwriter, how would you approach writing a script about this event without exploiting the victims?

    Opinion
  5. 5

    How is social media changing the way we consume news about international emergencies?

    Compare
  6. 6

    Do you believe that continuous exposure to tragic news in the media leads to empathy fatigue among viewers?

    Opinion
  7. 7

    How might future technologies like virtual reality alter our experience of watching news broadcasts?

    Predict
  8. 8

    In what ways do you think your own country would cope if a similar disaster occurred?

    Personal

Adapted from CBS News · Read the original. LectoPress rewrites the facts as original graded-reader text for language learners.

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