At least 1,719 people have died in the double earthquake that struck on 24/6, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced on 29/6. The disaster affected over 22,600 people, injuring more than 5,000. Rodriguez stated that Venezuela recorded a total of 609 aftershocks, the most recent being a 4.6 magnitude tremor at 7h that day, which caused no significant further damage.

Forecasts from the US Geological Survey (USGS) indicate the death toll could reach thousands, with a 44% probability of exceeding 10,000. Gianluca Rampolla del Tindaro, the United Nations (UN) resident coordinator in Venezuela, stated that the organization will provide 10,000 body bags to Caracas. "It is incredibly sad; we hope the actual number will be lower," Rampolla del Tindaro said.

A man sits amidst the rubble in La Guaira, Venezuela on 29/6. Photo: AP.

United Nations (UN) officials reported that 27 countries have dispatched over 40 search and rescue teams to Venezuela. On 29/6, the United States announced it would double its previous aid commitment from 150 million USD to 300 million USD. The US military reported that its Marines completed repairs on La Guaira port, one of Venezuela's two main ports, and the amphibious transport dock USS Fort Lauderdale is delivering essential relief supplies to Caracas.

Hope of finding more survivors under the rubble is diminishing, with the 72-hour "golden period" now over. "The most heartbreaking thing is that we always carry hope every time we crawl into tunnels beneath the rubble," Luis Salas, a 27-year-old rescue volunteer, told AFP. "We crawl, clear debris, and work with all our heart, but when we reach the victims, they are no longer alive."

Location of the earthquake epicenter in Venezuela on 24/6. Graphic: Guardian.

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck approximately 160 km west of Venezuela's capital, Caracas, on the evening of 24/6, with its epicenter at a depth of 22 km. Less than a minute later, a second 7.5 magnitude quake occurred a few kilometers away, with its epicenter at a depth of 10 km. This is the strongest earthquake in Venezuela since 1900.

Venezuela is prone to earthquakes. The most powerful recent earthquakes occurred in the northeast in 1997 and in Caracas in 1967, killing 73 and 236 people, respectively.

By Nhu Tam (AFP, AP, CNN)