Photo courtesy of Anadolu
The death toll from two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June climbed to 5,208, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said on Sunday.
Rodriguez reported that 16,740 people were injured in the successive tremors, according to figures he posted on X.
Authorities had provided assistance to 128,324 families affected by the disaster, while 107 temporary shelters were established for displaced residents.
The evacuation sites were housing 23,820 people as recovery and relief operations continued in the hardest-hit communities.
Government monitoring agencies also recorded 1,388 aftershocks following the two major earthquakes.
The Environment Ministry said rehabilitation work had progressed in coastal areas of La Guaira, one of the regions that sustained extensive damage.
Officials planned to introduce native plant species to restore ecological balance and help damaged coastal habitats recover.
Ecosocialism Minister Nelson Rodriguez said the earthquakes generated an estimated 2.106 million tons of debris, based on a joint modeling study by the Venezuelan government and the United Nations Development Program. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck the country on June 24.