Venezuela quake toll nears 2,000

The toll from the twin powerful earthquakes in Venezuela increased to 1,943 on Tuesday, the country’s government said.

More than 10,500 persons were injured and 15,866 have been registered as affected, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said.

At least 50,000 persons were still missing as of Monday, with the United Nations describing the estimate as “terrifyingly plausible”.

On Saturday, the toll stood at 1,430, while more than 68,900 persons were reported missing.

The two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the South American country on June 24. Videos posted on social media showed several collapsed buildings and damage at the airport in the capital city of Caracas. Operations were underway to rescue persons trapped under the debris.

The La Guaira region near the capital was the hardest-hit, the country’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez had said.

The epicentres of both the quakes were close to Caracas, the United States Geological Survey said.

The first quake occurred at 6 pm local time at a depth of nearly 22 km. The second struck a minute later at a depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes tend to be more destructive.

The “doublet” earthquake was the most powerful to occur in the region in 126 years. There were several aftershocks.

The Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency and said that the Maiquetia airport in Caracas would close following “serious damage”.

The United...

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