Caracas, July 6 (SANA) The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 3,342, according to official figures released on Sunday.
Reuters quoted Venezuela’s Ministry of Information as saying that 16,470 people have been injured and 17,345 displaced by the disaster.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the 215th anniversary of Venezuela’s independence, interim President Delcy Rodríguez said government relief efforts had helped assist those affected and mitigate the impact of the earthquakes.
Rodríguez said security forces were deployed immediately to the affected areas and announced the creation of a new military unit specializing in emergency response and disaster relief.
The two earthquakes, both measuring above magnitude 7, struck Venezuela on June 24, causing dozens of residential buildings to collapse, most of them in the coastal region of La Guaira, north of the capital, Caracas.
N.J/ABD
