The death toll from the twin earthquakes that turned entire residential neighbourhoods into piles of rubble in Venezuela has risen to 1,943.
AFP reports that the disaster also injured more than 10,500 people and displaced around 15,000 Venezuelans.
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The earthquakes, which measured 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and the southeast of Yumare last week.
Rescue efforts continue for thousands of people who remain missing or trapped beneath the rubble, although the critical 72-hour window for rescuing victims after a natural disaster passed on Saturday evening.
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Authorities believe that tens of thousands of people are still missing
The rescue team involved about 30,000 Venezuelan emergency workers and 2,700 foreign experts, according to Al Jazeera.
On Sunday, the interim President, Delcy Rodríguez, said that operatives have recovered “people alive and, therefore, operations are not being suspended.”
“We always maintain hope,” she noted.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) warned last week that the death toll could exceed 10,000, and predicted that there was a 30 per cent chance that fatalities could surpass 100,000.
It also stated that the two earthquakes, which measured 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, could cause ground liquefaction. Liquefaction is an earthquake-induced phenomenon in which loose, water-saturated soil loses its strength and behaves like a flowing mass, similar to a lateral landslide.
According to the agency, “the disaster is likely widespread” and strong aftershocks could still occur.
READ ALSO: 32 killed, 700 injured in Venezuela twin earthquakes
The USGS estimates a 44 per cent probability that the death toll could exceed 10,000, and a 30 per cent chance that fatalities could surpass 100,000. It also warned of a significant risk of landslides and ground liquefaction.
It also noted that authorities say they’ve received support from 24 countries, which have sent more than 500 tonnes of supplies, 2,700 rescue and support personnel and about 86 teams with search dogs.
The World Health Organisation also warned of the risk of disease outbreaks, as preliminary estimates indicate the disaster generated about 1.2 million tons of debris in La Guaira, the area most affected.
La Guaira state currently faces severe food shortages, widespread disruptions to basic services, and communications outages.
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