The death toll from the earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 4,490
The death toll from the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24 June has risen to 4,490. The updated figures were announced by the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, on his Telegram channel, according to Reuters.
The official number of people affected remains unchanged at 16,740. According to the published figures, rescue workers have saved 6,462 people. It is also reported that 17,907 people have been left homeless.
Powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, occurring less than a minute apart, struck on the evening of 24 June, approximately 160 kilometres west of Caracas. Following the main tremors, seismologists recorded a further 942 aftershocks.
The disaster destroyed around 190 buildings, with a further 850 sustaining damage. The coastal state of La Guaira, located near the country’s capital, Caracas, suffered the most extensive damage. According to the US Geological Survey, this was the strongest earthquake to hit Venezuela since 1900.
