The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24 has climbed to 2,295, as rescue teams continue searching for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said during a nationally televised briefing that the disaster has also left 11,267 people injured, while 12,841 residents have been displaced from their homes.
More than 4,000 emergency personnel have been deployed across the affected areas, with authorities confirming that 6,461 people have been rescued from collapsed structures since search operations began.
Despite the rising death toll, Rodriguez said rescuers remain hopeful that more survivors can still be found.
“Hope remains intact,” he said.
Authorities also revealed that 782 aftershocks have been recorded since the powerful 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck the region. However, seismologists said both the frequency and intensity of the aftershocks have declined over the past 48 hours.
Rodriguez warned that although the threat appears to be easing, residents should remain cautious around damaged buildings and unstable concrete structures.
A preliminary assessment by NASA, based on satellite imagery, estimates that more than 58,000 buildings were either damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes.
Search and rescue efforts remain underway, with thousands of emergency responders from more than 30 countries continuing to comb through the rubble in hopes of locating additional survivors.
Meanwhile, the United Nations said it is procuring 10,000 body bags as humanitarian efforts continue amid the scale of the disaster.
