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The death toll from two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 6,438, according to the latest official figures, as survivors continue to search for missing relatives and recover from widespread destruction.
Parliament Speaker Jorge Rodriguez announced the latest figure on social media, saying the toll increased by 137 from last week’s count of 6,301. The number of injured remains at 16,740.
The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck Venezuela at around 6:04 p.m. local time on June 24, with the second quake hitting 39 seconds after the first, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
La Guaira, the state hit hardest by the disaster, continues to face extensive housing damage. Authorities have inspected 59,109 homes there, Rodriguez reported.
Of those, 34,680 are classified as habitable, 13,733 are suitable for restricted use and 10,696 are considered "high risk." The government has so far handed over 335 homes to eligible recipients.
Across Venezuela, at least 190 buildings were knocked down by the quakes, while about 60,000 homes were affected in some way, according to authorities. Around 24,000 homes were left uninhabitable.
Thousands of residents remain in temporary camps, where conditions remain precarious. Heavy rain in Caracas over the weekend destroyed some tents housing earthquake victims.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s government has pledged to provide housing for those affected, with 4,000 homes promised by the end of the year. So far, 335 have been made available.
The earthquakes have also caused billions of dollars in economic damage. The United Nations Development Programme estimated on June 26 that the quakes caused $6.7 billion in direct material damage. The World Bank Group later put the figure at $19.6 billion.
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