Venezuela earthquake death toll rises to 5,069

Venezuela's death toll from the June 24 earthquakes rose to 5,069 as recovery teams cleared debris and found more victims. The update underscored the scale of damage in La Guaira, where aftershocks and widespread destruction continued to hamper recovery.

In Short

• Injured count steady at 16,740 over 11 days
• La Guaira state hardest hit by aftershocks
• 856 buildings damaged, 190 collapsed

The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that shook Venezuela last month rose to 5,069 late on Friday, local authorities said.

The interim government of President Delcy Rodriguez added in a statement that the number of injured remains unchanged at 16,740, as in the past 11 days.

Ongoing recovery and debris-clearing operations have led to the increase in the death toll, particularly in the coastal state of La Guaira, the hardest hit by the quakes close to the Caribbean Sea. A total of 1,331 aftershocks had been recorded by Friday.

Venezuela's government says 856 buildings are damaged and 190 collapsed completely since the 7.2 and 7.5 quakes on June 24. Hundreds of other types of structures, such as bridges and roads, were also affected.

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