Venezuela quake death toll rises to 1,450

Caracas: Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said that the death toll from two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela Wednesday has risen to 1,450.

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.

Earlier on Saturday, he said on state television that 3,238 people have been injured and 3,142 families affected by the disaster, Xinhua news agency reported.

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.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research (Funvisis) reported on Saturday that a magnitude-4.1 earthquake was felt across the central region of the South American country, further unsettling a population already on edge following two devastating quakes earlier this week.

The state seismological agency said the epicentre of the latest tremor was located approximately 35 km west of La Guaira, a key port city along the central coast that has been declared a disaster zone after sustaining severe damage from Wednesday’s two powerful earthquakes.

The agency reported that the quake occurred at a shallow depth of 5 km, which typically amplifies ground shaking and increases the potential for structural damage.

Residents in Caracas and surrounding areas reported feeling the tremor, with many rushing out of buildings in fear of further collapse. The quake comes just days after the region was struck by two significant seismic events on Wednesday that caused widespread destruction, including collapsed buildings, landslides and casualties.

Officials have been struggling to coordinate relief efforts, as rescue teams work tirelessly to reach affected communities in coastal and mountainous regions.

IANS