CARACAS — The number of lives lost following two devastating earthquakes that hit Venezuela on June 24 has climbed to 4,333, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced to reporters on Saturday. He also revealed that housing distribution for survivors will get underway as early as next week.
Among those counted in the death toll, 315 victims have yet to be identified, Rodriguez noted.
The official injury count remains at 16,740. Rescue teams have pulled 6,462 people to safety, while approximately 17,000 individuals have been displaced from their homes.
Rodriguez said that acting President Delcy Rodriguez will assign the first 200 homes to earthquake victims next week, though no additional details were provided about the plan.
Rodriguez also reported that 856 structures sustained damage in the disaster, with 190 of those either fully collapsing or suffering significant structural failure.
Early government estimates indicate that around 25,000 homes will be needed to address the housing crisis. Authorities have already pinpointed roughly 40 parcels of land — totaling approximately 584,000 square meters — in the Osma and Chuspa areas that could be used for new housing developments.
Search and rescue efforts are still ongoing. Rodriguez offered an emotional statement about the continuing operations, saying, “As long as there is life, there is hope. We still have one or two sites where the situation remains uncertain, active sites where we are searching for survivors.”
