The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 6,125, National Assembly Chief Jorge Rodriguez said yesterday.
The updated figure comes weeks after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes hit the country, causing nearly 200 buildings to collapse, mostly in the worst-affected coastal state of La Guaira. The previous official death toll was 5,546.
Rescue teams and family members are still searching through the rubble for victims and missing loved ones. Nearly 17,000 people were injured in the earthquakes.
Local media quoted La Guaira Governor Jose Alejandro Teran as saying about 1,400 people remain missing after the disaster. The government has not released an official missing persons figure, although experts have estimated that the number could be as high as 10,000.
Authorities said 190 buildings were completely destroyed, while more than 16,200 structures have been declared unsafe, forcing many residents to leave their homes.
Almost 24,000 people in La Guaira and Caracas are currently staying in temporary shelters following the earthquakes.
On Friday, Venezuelan lawmakers unanimously approved a new law to make it easier to rent properties. The measure aims to help people displaced by the earthquakes and repeals anti-rental legislation introduced under previous leftist Chavista governments.
Interim leader Delcy Rodriguez said earlier Monday that about 400,000 homes could benefit from the new law, describing it as a “win-win” for both tenants and property owners.
Rodriguez has also pledged to provide 4,000 homes to earthquake victims by the end of the year, with the government aiming to increase that number to more than 10,000 homes in 2027.
Rodriguez has been serving as Venezuela’s interim leader since January, after US forces removed her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro.
