CARACAS — The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 5,346, authorities said, as the country continues recovery operations nearly a month after the disaster.
Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela's National Assembly, announced the latest figure on Tuesday, saying 68 additional deaths had been added to the official tally. The number of injured remained at 16,740, while 17,907 people were reported to have lost their homes, according to figures released by authorities.
The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck within about a minute of each other, causing widespread destruction in the coastal state of La Guaira and affecting areas including Caracas. The disaster prompted a national period of mourning as rescue and recovery teams continued working in affected communities.
The official casualty count has risen steadily as authorities recover bodies from collapsed buildings and identify victims. The Pan American Health Organization said in a July 14 situation report that the earthquakes had killed 4,333 people at that point, injured 16,740 and displaced 17,907, while damaging 38 health facilities. It said the emergency response was beginning to shift toward restoring essential health services and rehabilitating damaged facilities.
The United Nations has previously estimated that as many as 50,000 people could still be missing, although authorities have not provided a corresponding updated official figure in the latest casualty announcement. The discrepancy between the official death toll and broader missing-person estimates means the final scale of the disaster remains uncertain.
The government has also reported thousands of rescues and continued efforts to provide shelter and medical care to people affected by the destruction. Authorities have said reconstruction will require substantial resources, while international agencies have focused on emergency health services and the transition to early recovery.
The latest official tally of 5,346 deaths was released as recovery work continued in the hardest-hit areas, with authorities maintaining the injured figure at 16,740 and the number of people left without homes at 17,907.
