The death toll from two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 5,069, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez announced on July 17, according to infohub.kz.
According to the latest figures, 16,740 people were injured, and 17,907 residents have been left homeless. During search and rescue operations, 6,462 people were located, and nearly 37,000 victims received medical assistance.
The disaster completely destroyed 190 buildings, and another 856 structures sustained serious damage. The hardest-hit areas were the coastal regions, where the majority of deaths occurred.
Thousands of people who lost their homes remain in temporary shelters. According to AFP, many of these camps are overcrowded and facing shortages of drinking water and inadequate sanitation.
The catastrophe was caused by a so-called "seismic doublet" — two powerful earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 that struck less than a minute apart on the evening of June 24. The epicenters of both tremors were located near the city of Morón on the Caribbean coast, about 168 kilometers from Caracas.
To address the aftermath of the disaster, Venezuelan authorities allocated $346 million, drawing on the country's own resources at the International Monetary Fund.
On July 1, Acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez declared a seven-day national mourning for the earthquake victims. At that time, the official death toll stood at around 2,300, but as rescue operations continued, that figure more than doubled.