The death toll from the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 1,719, according to Jorge Rodríguez, President of the National Assembly, who reported the updated figure on June 29.

Official data indicates that 5,034 people were injured, and 15,866 residents have been left homeless. The two powerful quakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, occurred in northern Venezuela, west of Caracas, just 39 seconds apart.

These tremors are the strongest recorded in the country in 125 years. Dozens of aftershocks followed, exacerbating the destruction.

The hardest-hit area is La Guaira state, home to the international airport and the country's largest seaport. Residential buildings and infrastructure have been damaged. The Venezuelan authorities have declared a state of emergency.

According to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center, this is a rare seismic phenomenon known as a 'seismic doublet,' where two strong earthquakes occur almost simultaneously in the same fault zone.

Source: kun.uz