Venezuela Earthquake Toll Surpasses 4,900 Fatalities, Thousands Displaced

The death toll from recent earthquakes in Venezuela has now reached 4,930, with 101 new fatalities reported. The number of injured remains at 16,740, and 17,907 individuals have been displaced. These figures were shared via Telegram by Rodríguez, who is also the brother of Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez. Official reports indicate that authorities have provided assistance to 128,324 families, and 21,210 people are currently housed in 107 temporary shelters. Venezuelan authorities have confirmed that 856 buildings were impacted by the seismic activity, with 190 of them collapsing entirely. Since June 24, a total of 1,308 tremors have been recorded. The most recent significant aftershock, felt strongly on Friday morning, registered a magnitude of 3.9 and occurred ten kilometers northeast of Naiguatá in La Guaira state, the area most affected by the initial double earthquake. This tremor caused panic and led to precautionary building evacuations. The government has initiated a biometric census to assess housing needs, estimating that up to 25,000 new homes may be required. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez is expected to deliver the first two hundred new homes this week. The Venezuelan parliament has approved a legal reform project aimed at expediting housing construction. This amendment to the Law against Real Estate Fraud, pending a final approval vote, seeks to provide legal security and financing capacity for an "aggressive" housing construction process. The initial earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck approximately 200 kilometers from Caracas less than a minute apart and were followed by hundreds of aftershocks, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.