Venezuela quake death toll rises to 3,889

Caracas, July 10 (IANS) The death toll from the earthquakes that struck Venezuela has climbed to 3,889, with 16,740 people injured, Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said on social media that the two powerful earthquakes that hit the country on June 24 have also left 17,907 people homeless.

According to the latest official figures, 6,462 people have been rescued.

Since the earthquakes struck, Venezuela has recorded 1,142 aftershocks, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez expressed gratitude for the humanitarian aid provided by 28 countries to support victims of the country’s recent quakes.

She made the remarks after inspecting a collection center in Caracas, where more than 2,000 tonnes of international aid are sorted for distribution to temporary camps housing victims of the June 24 earthquakes.

“Venezuela never tires of thanking the countries, the peoples of the world, and the governments of the world that have offered a helping hand,” Rodriguez said.

“Each country will be able to see how its aid is being used so that the Venezuelan people feel the friendly helping hand of that country,” she added.

Thanks to the international response to the tragedy, Venezuela knows it is not alone, said Rodriguez.

“The most important thing is to look to the future, how we are going to recover, how we are going to rebuild the affected areas.”

An official report earlier said 17,345 people were also displaced.

Authorities have also set up many temporary camps to assist displaced and affected people.

Venezuela’s acting president declared seven days of national mourning last week in tribute to the victims of the powerful earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.

“In honour of the memory of the victims, I have decided to decree National Mourning for seven (7) days, starting at 6:00 p.m. today,” Rodriguez wrote in a statement posted on social media.

She said that “in these moments of profound sadness, we embrace those who suffer from this tragedy and reaffirm our commitment to accompany and protect them.”

–IANS

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