Death toll from Venezuela quakes passes 3500
The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 3,535, leaving nearly 18,000 people homeless for more than a week after the disaster hit the capital and nearby coastal areas, officials say.
Senior lawmaker Jorge Rodríguez said the latest official tally showed that 16,740 people were injured and 17,854 people were left homeless after the earthquakes of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes occurred a few seconds apart on June 24.
The new figures underline the scale of the disaster in and around Caracas and La Guaira, the worst-hit coastal region, as criticism of the government’s response grows.
Venezuela’s social vice president said at least 12,800 people were staying in 80 shelters in Caracas and La Guaira.
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez defended the government’s handling of the disaster in the face of growing frustration from Venezuelans who called the response late and inadequate.
She said security forces were deployed immediately after the quakes and announced the creation of a new military unit to help tackle future emergencies and disasters.
Reuters witnesses saw trucks and forensic workers carrying coffins in La Guaira on Monday while machines dug ditches marked with white crosses in an open area where authorities buried bodies.
In the photographs published by the Spanish newspaper El Pais, the names of some graves and the numbers of others were visible.
The United Nations said it was continuing to step up aid operations in coordination with the government in Caracas.
“Some search and rescue teams continue to operate in affected areas, while other specialist engineering teams and medical support continue to arrive,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Monday.
Dujarric said a comprehensive needs assessment that will form the basis of an updated response plan is nearly complete, but he did not say when it would be released.
UN agencies are currently providing services in three camps and are considering other areas for expanded support.
