The official death toll from the two devastating earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 5,278 people, the speaker of the country's National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, announced on his official Telegram account. The grim statistics continue to increase nearly a month after the massive disaster.
Data on casualties and damage
According to the latest daily summary published by Rodriguez on social networks, the situation in the country remains critical:
- Over 16,740 injured: The number of injured remains high, with the majority of them already discharged from hospitals.
- Thousands homeless: A total of 17,907 residents have been left homeless, with 23,820 people already housed in 107 temporary camps.
- Destroyed infrastructure: Authorities reported 190 completely collapsed buildings and 856 severely damaged structures.
Disaster timeline
The twin destructive earthquakes with a magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale shook the northern part of the country on June 24, with the two main tremors striking just 39 seconds apart. The coastal state of La Guaira, located in close proximity to the capital Caracas, remained the hardest hit. Seismologists from the Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research also reported more than 1,300 subsequent aftershocks, further complicating the work of rescue teams on the ground.