Venezuela’s twin earthquakes in late June have claimed 6,125 lives, the head of the country’s National Assembly said, raising the confirmed death toll weeks after the disaster.
The revised figure follows the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that hit on 24 June. Nearly 200 buildings collapsed, with the coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas, suffering the greatest damage.
The previous toll was 5,546, while the tremors left nearly 17,000 people injured.
Rescue teams and volunteers search for bodies amid the rubble of a collapsed building in Caraballeda
Since the earthquakes struck, rescue workers and relatives have continued combing through the debris, hoping to find survivors and recover those still trapped.
Authorities have not said how many people remain missing, although some estimates have placed the number as high as 10,000.
Alongside the 190 buildings destroyed outright, officials have listed 6,433 structures as “high-risk”. A further 9,866 have been classified as “restricted housing”, a designation intended to warn residents about the dangers of remaining there.
Nearly 24,000 people across La Guaira and Caracas are now living in temporary 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
Venezuelan lawmakers last week unanimously passed legislation designed to make it easier for displaced residents to rent homes.
The measure, introduced in response to the earthquake crisis, must now be signed by interim leader Delcy Rodríguez before it can take effect.
“We are estimating around 400,000 homes that could benefit from this law,” Ms Rodríguez said.
She has also promised to deliver 4,000 homes to earthquake victims by the end of the year. The Venezuelan Government expects that figure to rise above 10,000 in 2027.
