Death toll from Venezuela’s twin quakes rises to 3,889

After two earthquakes shook Venezuela nearly two weeks ago, the community in Ottawa came together for a vigil to support one another and honour the victims.

The death toll from the powerful twin tremors that struck Venezuela two weeks ago has risen to at least 3,889, a government report published Thursday stated.

Nearly 17,000 people were injured in the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes on June 24, while almost 18,000 more lost their homes.

The death toll rose from 3,811 to 3,889 on Thursday, according to a report from National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez posted on Telegram.

Interim leader Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday called for the release of Venezuelan funds frozen abroad to help the country cope with the disaster.

The United Nations is meanwhile trying to raise some US$300 million in recovery funds for Venezuela.

The South American country is also negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to unblock its financial assets, according to IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack.

In the hardest-hit coastal area of La Guaira, over 800 buildings sustained damage while 190 collapsed entirely.

While rescue teams were abandoning the search for survivors a fortnight after the disaster struck, some families had not given up hope of finding their loved ones.

Ciro Ocando believes he has located the spot where his teenage sons are buried under mountains of rubble in Playa Grande in the city of La Guaira.

He, like many others, just wants to find the bodies of his boys aged 13 and 18, having accepted that their chances of survival are non-existent at this stage.

“I’m in the right place, but there are a lot of obstacles,” he told AFP, using his own tools to dig through the debris.