The death toll from Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes last month has risen to 4,333, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced on Saturday. This marks an increase from the 4,118 reported on Friday.
Earthquake Details and Immediate Aftermath
On June 24, two powerful earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck Caracas and the coastal state of La Guaira. The quakes flattened entire high-rise apartment blocks into layers of rubble, causing widespread destruction.
More than 19,000 people are currently living in camps set up in stadiums, plazas, and on sidewalks, according to Rodriguez. Venezuelan and foreign volunteers are providing medical care in tents and distributing food to the affected population.
Missing Persons and Government Response
Rodriguez did not specify the number of people still unaccounted for, but the United Nations has estimated that 50,000 people remain missing. He rejected any suggestion that the government would suspend the search for bodies, amid fears from families that rubble would be cleared indiscriminately.
Initial government estimates indicate that about 25,000 homes are needed to house the displaced. Rodriguez said the government will begin providing some apartments to families in the coming days that were under construction before the earthquake. However, he noted that significant resources will be required to build more homes, provide rental assistance, and offer loans for property purchases.
Land Allocation and Reconstruction Plans
The government has allocated more than 40 plots of land in La Guaira, totaling approximately 584,000 square meters, for the construction of new homes. Rodriguez explained that the land is located on safe plains away from the coastal area, where hundreds of buildings were damaged and more than 180 collapsed completely.
Interim President Requests Release of Gold Reserves
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez this week asked Britain's King Charles III to release Venezuela's gold reserves, which are currently held at the Bank of England. The request comes as the country faces immense financial strain from the earthquake disaster.
