The number of victims of the powerful earthquakes that occurred in Venezuela on June 24 has increased by another 300 in the last day, reaching 2595, the country's acting president, Delsey Rodriguez, announced. Another 12,000 people were injured. Rodriguez did not specify the number of missing persons. According to unofficial sources, 38,500 people are considered individually missing.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing. On the 8th day of the earthquake, a 43-year-old man was rescued from the rubble.
The province of La Guaira, not far from the capital, was the most affected by the earthquake. Rodríguez said that almost all the officials of La Guaira died in the earthquake. According to the Venezuelan authorities, about 800 buildings collapsed, of which 189 were completely destroyed.
Authorities condemn criticism of slow response to natural disaster. According to the calculations of the United Nations Development Program, the damage caused by the earthquakes may amount to 6.7 billion dollars.
Many countries sent aid to Venezuela after the earthquake. To make humanitarian aid possible, the US has lifted some sanctions against the country, pledged $150 million in humanitarian aid, and sent more than 900 rescuers there.
