Venezuela has reported that the death toll from a series of earthquakes has risen to 2,295, with more than 11,000 people injured. Officials also said there is still no information on the status of over 50,000 people reported missing.
The South American nation, already struggling with an economic crisis, was hit last week by two powerful earthquakes just 39 seconds apart. The twin shocks measured 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, causing widespread destruction to infrastructure across the oil-rich country.
The worst impact was reported in La Guaira, a coastal city north of the capital Caracas. Rescue teams searching through hundreds of collapsed buildings said they had confirmed there were no survivors in many of the structures.
Tens of thousands of affected residents remain without proper shelter, while shortages of food and drinking water are worsening by the day. In response to the scale of the disaster, interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced seven days of national mourning.
A week after the quake, rescuers in Caracas pulled a three-year-old boy alive from the rubble. Rescue personnel said the child’s condition was stable.
