The death toll from the two devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday had risen to 1,430, the country's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said Saturday.
Speaking on state television, Rodriguez said that 3,238 people had been injured in the quakes and 3,142 families affected by the disaster.
After the powerful 7.2-magnitude and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes which rocked Venezuela within seconds of each other, the Latin American country has recorded 430 light to moderate aftershocks, Rodriguez said in the latest government update on the national emergency.
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.
A total of 7.2 million kilograms of food have been distributed in the affected areas, particularly in the hardest-hit state of La Guaira, and hospitals have seen over 5,000 patient visits, with cumulative medical assistance surpassing 12,000 person-times, he said.
Rodríguez also said that 60 percent of the power supply in La Guaira has been restored, along with improvements in water supply in some areas, and the Venezuelan government has deployed over 100 heavy machinery units to aid in road-clearing efforts and enhance search operations.
A total of 2,242 international rescue personnel, 96 search and rescue dogs, 103 tons of equipment and three tons of medicine have arrived in the country so far, Rodriguez said.
According to media reports, the Simón Bolívar International Airport near the capital city of Caracas has partially resumed operations on Saturday to facilitate cargo flights that are delivering humanitarian aid.
Death toll from Venezuela earthquakes rises to 1,430
Death toll from Venezuela earthquakes rises to 1,430
