Venezuela quake death toll rises past 4,800

The death toll from last month's devastating twin earthquakes in Venezuela has surpassed 4,800, the government reported on Wednesday.

The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes struck within a minute of each other on June 24, decimating the coastal state of La Guaira, located north of Caracas.

The disaster has killed 4,829 people, according to a new toll shared by National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez on Telegram.

Rescue workers and family members in La Guaira are ploughing ahead with their search for victims buried under collapsed buildings, three weeks after the quakes struck.

At least 20,857 people made homeless by the quakes are living in overcrowded camps, many of which lack water supplies and proper sanitation systems.

The tremors injured 16,740 people, with Rodriguez earlier stating that most had already been discharged. Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Monday that the country's oil production was "not affected" by the double earthquakes.

Rodriguez said that Venezuela, which has the world's largest proven reserves of crude, was pumping 1.2 million barrels per day - up around 10 per cent in a year - and that the government remained confident of strong growth this year.

Crude oil production, the country's main source of revenue, is concentrated in Lake Maracaibo in the northwest and the Orinoco Belt in the east. — AFP