Evening star., 1939-11-15
Hundreds Of Bodies
6+HeDead Souqht
In Lake Maracaibo
500 to 800 Are Believed
To Have Lost Lives in
Venezuelan Holocaust
By the Associated Press.

Bl the ASSocia ted Press.
CARACAS. Venezuela. Nov. Is
Volunteer workers searched Lake
Maracaibo today for the bodies of
500 to 800 persons estimated to have
died in fire which swept the oil
town of Lagunillas, a village of
wooden shacks perched on stills at
the waters edge.
While the searchers padded
through floating debris and charred
piline-a'l that remained of the
shanty town which housed $500
notives employed in the great oil
fields nearby - the government
modified its resources to aid the
survivors.
Airplanes brought scores of doctors
and nurses to aid in the. relief work
while additional first aid parties and
supplies We're rushed by boat from
the other side of the lake-60 miles
away. National Guard detachments
took over the task of maintaining
order
/ President Eleazar Lopez Con-
! treras. who decreed three days Of
mourning throughout the nation.
quickly raised relief fund of 355 900
| bolivarS tsl10O50). which was
swelled bv subscriptions taken up in
many Venezuelan towns and cities.
New Town Built Nearby.
Several years ago the Venezuelan
government. with the assistance of
the foreign oil companies. built
a new village called Ciudad Ojeda to
replace the flimsy. oil-soaked La
gunillas. However. in spite of the
fact the natives were supplied al
the new town with free water. Gas
and light service they did not like
it and failed to move in great num-
bers
Today the Oil companies supplied
! transportation to move the refugees
from the burned town to Ciudad
! Oieda. Temporary quarters also
were established hastily in the
nearby town of Bachquero.
! Recovery of the bodies of the vic
tins. many of whom were believed
to have been children. was hindered
by the debris which covered the
water. approximately 100 bodies
had been recovered last night. and
authorities could only guess at the
number still lying beneath the
wreckage.
Hundreds OF weeping survivors who
! lost relatives in the holocaust lined
the shores as the search progressed.
The cause of the fire. under in
vestigation by special commission
composed of three cabinet ministers,
| remained uncertain. but was gen.
orally attributed to the explosion
Of kerosene lamp in one of the
| ShaCks
Hundreds Are Trapped.
So swiftly did the flames sweep
through the silt village that hum
dreds were trapped in their homes
without chance to reach the
shore
The surface of the lake. con-
tinually covered with film of oil,
was transformed into a fiery caul-
dron which cut off all chance of
escape. The flames, roaring high
above the surface of the water,
baked rescue attempts.
Witnesses said that one launch
which attempted to approach the
burning village was engulfed by the
flames and sank with all aboard.
An off-shore wind. which swept
the fire out into the lake, speeded
destruction of the houses. about
200 of which were grouped in an
area equivalent to one or two city
blocks. A bridge. connecting the
houses with the shore. was quickly
destroyed.
Properties Undamaged.
Oil company properties in the
vicinity of Lagunillas, which is
located about 30 miles from the
seaport of Maracaibo in the heart
(See FIRE. Page A-3)