The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430 as hundreds of aftershocks continue to shake affected areas, authorities said on Saturday.
According to Venezuela’s Ministry of Communication and Information, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said emergency teams have recorded 432 aftershocks since the main earthquakes struck on June 24. He said the coastal state of La Guaira has suffered the heaviest damage among seven affected states.
He said that, as of June 27, at least 3,238 people had been injured and 3,142 families affected by the disaster were being accommodated in temporary shelters and receiving government assistance.
He added that emergency and rescue teams have carried out more than 12,000 interventions across disaster-hit areas, including search and rescue operations, medical assistance, evacuations and relief distribution.
Venezuela had declared a nationwide state of emergency after two powerful earthquakes, recorded at magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck the country within seconds of each other on Wednesday evening, causing widespread destruction and triggering fears of a much higher death toll.