The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week has risen to 1,943, while 10,571 people have been injured, authorities said, as emergency crews continue search, rescue and relief operations across the country’s worst-hit regions.
Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said 15,866 people have been officially registered as affected by the disaster caused by last week’s twin earthquakes.
Rodríguez said 14 transitional camps had been established in the coastal state of La Guaira, while 55 more camps were operating in Caracas and other affected states to accommodate displaced residents as relief efforts continued.
The authorities claimed to have distributed more than 7.237 million kilograms of food to communities impacted by the earthquakes.
The updated figures came days after Venezuela declared a nationwide state of emergency following two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, which struck within seconds of each other on the evening of June 24. The back-to-back quakes caused widespread destruction, flattening homes, damaging infrastructure and leaving thousands of families displaced.
Rescue teams, supported by the military, emergency services and volunteers, remain deployed in affected areas, searching collapsed buildings and delivering humanitarian assistance. Authorities had earlier warned that casualty figures could continue to rise as crews reach isolated communities and complete damage assessments.