A pair of earthquakes on June 24 La Guaira, Venezuela -- the first a 7.2-magnitude shock, followed seconds later by another reaching 7.5 magnitude -- were the biggest the country has seen in more than a century. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez/EPA
July 11 (UPI) -- The death toll from the earthquakes that devastated Venezuela last month has risen to more than 4,300 people, a government official said Saturday.
The June 24 twin quakes in La Guaira -- the first a 7.2-magnitude shock, followed seconds later by another reaching magnitude 7.5 -- were the biggest the country has seen in more than a century.
Jorge Rodriguez, president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, on Saturday said at least 4,333 people were killed and more than 16,740 were injured.
"Currently, more than 31,837 troops and 30,197 volunteers remain deployed across the country to ensure the welfare of the affected population," said Rodriguez, the brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, in a social media post.
