Caracas: The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela in late June has risen to more than 6,000, authorities said on Tuesday. Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela's National Assembly, announced that the number of fatalities had reached 6,125, with more than 61,000 individuals remaining hospitalized due to injuries from the disaster.
According to Qatar News Agency, 16.5% of the earthquake debris has been cleared. The twin earthquakes caused extensive destruction across northern Venezuela, especially in the coastal state of La Guaira, near Caracas. Approximately 20,000 people are still residing in temporary shelters established in stadiums, public squares, and on sidewalks.
La Guaira Governor Jose Alejandro Teran informed local media that nearly 1,400 people are still missing. On June 24, earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 struck parts of Venezuela, leading to the collapse of nearly 200 buildings, the majority of which were in La Guaira.
While the government has not officially released a nationwide figure for the missing, experts estimate that the number could be as high as 10,000.