A German palliative care physician was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday by a Berlin court after being convicted of murdering 15 patients during home visits, in a case the presiding judge described as that of a “serial killer.”

The court found the 41-year-old doctor, identified as Johannes M., guilty of killing 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024 by administering lethal combinations of sedatives.

Prosecutors argued that the physician first injected a sedative followed by a muscle relaxant, a combination that allegedly caused paralysis of the respiratory muscles, leading to respiratory failure and death within minutes.

Although the conviction covers 15 victims, investigators believe the doctor may be responsible for a significantly larger number of deaths. Authorities said additional homicide investigations remain ongoing.

In addition to receiving the maximum sentence of life imprisonment, the court imposed special measures intended to prevent the possibility of early release. Johannes M. was also permanently barred from practicing medicine.

Judge Sylvia Busch described the case as “inconceivable” and “extraordinary,” referring to the defendant as a “serial killer” while fully upholding the prosecution’s requests.

The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 rose to 3,535 on Monday, while the number of injured remained at 16,740, according to a statement released by the Venezuelan government.

Authorities have not disclosed an official number of missing persons. However, the United Nations estimates that as many as 50,000 people could still be unaccounted for, although other projections suggest the figure may be closer to 10,000.

Search and recovery operations continue in the state of La Guaira, neighboring Caracas and the region hardest hit by the earthquakes, as emergency crews and volunteers work to recover victims and provide them with dignified burials.

On Sunday, authorities began burying unidentified victims.

More than 150 unidentified bodies were laid to rest at La Esperanza Cemetery in the municipality of Catia La Mar, according to journalists from AFP.

Rows of individual graves now stretch across a dry section of the cemetery, each marked by white stones outlining the burial plots.

Every grave bears a small bouquet of flowers at the base of a white cross, along with a plaque reading “Special Identification” and the date of death: June 24, 2026.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of an increased risk of disease outbreaks in Venezuela, including vaccine-preventable illnesses, due to low immunization coverage across the country.

“The vaccination coverage in Venezuela, particularly against measles and other diseases, was already low, so the risk of measles cases and other illnesses is currently high,” said Ciro Ugarte, director for emergencies at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the WHO’s regional office.

Speaking during a video conference with journalists, Ugarte said the risk is especially high in shelters, where overcrowding could significantly accelerate the transmission of infectious diseases.

He also highlighted water quality as an additional concern in the aftermath of the disaster, noting that safe drinking water is not guaranteed in the most affected areas.

“Unfortunately, supply is scarce, making it very difficult to assess conditions in all shelters. That is why evaluating the quality of water provided to the population, especially in large shelters, is a priority,” he said during a briefing in Geneva.

Ugarte suggested that targeted vaccination campaigns could be deployed against mosquito-borne and other vector-transmitted diseases, particularly in overcrowded shelters and in areas where people remain displaced.

According to PAHO, eight health facilities have been assessed so far, all of which require assistance, with three reporting structural damage.

He also stressed that the José María Vargas Hospital, one of Caracas’s major public reference hospitals, requires urgent support due to critical conditions. The facility is currently treating 96 patients in an eight-bed unit, while its blood bank is operating at extremely low levels.

In La Guaira, the Rafael Medina Jiménez Hospital has reduced its capacity from 108 to 35 beds. Additionally, 22 other health centers have reported severe shortages, underscoring the strain on Venezuela’s healthcare system.