VENEZUELA – The death toll from last month’s twin earthquakes in Venezuela has climbed to 4 333, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced on Saturday.

The figure represents an increase of 215 deaths from Friday’s count of 4 118, as recovery teams continue to search through collapsed buildings.

Two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck Caracas and the coastal state of La Guaira on 24 June, reducing high-rise apartment blocks to layers of concrete and rubble.

Rodriguez, whose sister Delcy Rodriguez is serving as interim leader, said more than 19 000 people remain displaced and are living in emergency camps set up in stadiums, public plazas and along pavements.

Venezuelan volunteers and international aid workers have established medical tents in open areas to treat survivors, while food distribution points have been set up across the affected regions.

The National Assembly president did not provide figures on how many people remain missing.

The disaster marks one of the deadliest natural catastrophes to hit Venezuela in recent history, with rescue operations still ongoing three weeks after the initial tremors.

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