The official death toll in Venezuela from last week’s two earthquakes rose to almost 3,000. Authorities reported 2,954 deaths and 16,592 injuries in the government’s latest update, a figure higher than the 2,645 deaths reported the previous day.
The number of injured increased by approximately 4,000. Relatives of the missing continue to pressure authorities to intensify search and rescue efforts.
The two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 devastated much of the northern coastal state of La Guaira. 890 aftershocks have been recorded since the earthquakes occurred on June 24. The United Nations and other organizations have warned that, given the magnitude of the disaster, the final death toll could exceed 10,000.
The government has not released an official estimate of the number of people still missing. However, figures compiled by members of the opposition put the number of those missing or unaccounted for at more than 32,000.
