Venezuela’s death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck in late June has risen to 6,125, National Assembly Chief Jorge Rodríguez said.
The revised figure was announced several weeks after magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes hit on June 24. Nearly 200 buildings collapsed, with the largest concentration of damage reported in La Guaira, the coastal state north of Caracas.
The previous official toll was 5,546. Nearly 17,000 people were also injured in the powerful tremors.
Rescue teams and volunteers search for bodies amid the rubble of a collapsed building in Caraballeda, Venezuela, on August 3
Rescue workers, volunteers and relatives have remained at the sites, combing through the wreckage in the hope of finding survivors.
The government has not released an official estimate of the number of people still missing, although some projections have placed the figure as high as 10,000.
Authorities say 190 buildings were destroyed. A further 6,433 structures have been labeled “high-risk,” while 9,866 have been classified as “restricted housing,” a designation intended to warn residents about unsafe living conditions.
Nearly 24,000 people in La Guaira and Caracas are now staying in makeshift shelters after losing access to their homes.
A member of the Civil Protection service stands amid the rubble of a collapsed multi-storey building in Caraballeda, Venezuela, on July 27
Venezuelan lawmakers unanimously approved a measure last week designed to make it easier for people to rent homes.
The legislation is aimed at assisting residents displaced by the earthquakes, but it must still be enacted by interim leader Delcy Rodríguez before it takes effect.
“We are estimating around 400,000 homes that could benefit from this law,” Mr Rodríguez said.
Rodríguez has previously promised to deliver 4,000 homes to earthquake victims by the end of the year. The Venezuelan Government expects that total to rise above 10,000 in 2027.
