Venezuela quake death toll rises to 1,430
Caracas, June 28: The death toll from the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday has risen to 1,430, Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said Saturday.
Rodriguez said on state television that 3,238 people have been injured and 3,142 families affected by the disaster.
After the two powerful magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes, Venezuela has recorded 430 light to moderate aftershocks, Rodriguez said in the latest government update on the national emergency.
On behalf of Venezuelan authorities, Rodriguez offered his deepest condolences to the thousands of victims of the natural disaster.
He said tens of thousands of people are still working around the clock on search and rescue operations.–(Xinhua)
Death toll from Venezuelan earthquakes climbs to 235, injuries reach 4,300
Caracas, June 26: Venezuela’s health ministry raised the death toll to at least 235 on Thursday evening after two powerful earthquakes struck the country a day earlier.
The number of injured has climbed to 4,300, Venezuelan Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said in an interview with state television on Thursday.
The twin earthquakes, measuring magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 and striking just 40 seconds apart late Wednesday, were the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century and the deadliest in decades.—(Xinhua)
At least 164 dead, 971 injured as quakes rock Venezuela
Caracas [Venezuela], June 25: The death toll in Venezuela has climbed to at least 164 following devastating earthquakes, while 971 others have been confirmed injured, acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez announced in an update early on Thursday.
According to CNN, authorities fear that the actual number of fatalities could be significantly higher due to the vast number of destroyed and damaged buildings, as emergency teams press on with search and rescue operations. Rodriguez noted that the region has been rattled by at least 30 aftershocks following the primary twin tremors.
In an interview with Venezuela’s state broadcaster, Rodriguez stated that she is coordinating with the United Nations to deploy rescue teams, CNN reported.
She is also in discussions with the International Monetary Fund to establish an initial fund of USD 200 million for the reconstruction of the nation.
The powerful back-to-back earthquakes hit Venezuela during the early hours of Thursday (Indian Standard Time), causing massive destruction and flattening buildings in the capital city of Caracas.
According to officials and monitoring agencies, the twin quakes stand as the most powerful seismic events to strike the Latin American country in a century.
Data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) indicated that the first tremor measured a magnitude of 7.1, striking at a shallow depth of 13 kilometres, with its epicentre situated west of Moron, a coastal community around 168 kilometres west of Caracas.
Barely 40 seconds later, a more violent 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit the exact same area at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre roughly 16 kilometres southwest of Moron, severely intensifying the impact across the affected zones.
Following the severe seismic activity, the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued tsunami alerts for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, though these warnings were subsequently withdrawn.–(ANI)
Join JK Updates WhatsApp ChannelÂ