CARACAS: Venezuela's interim government reported 6,509 deaths from the powerful twin earthquakes that struck the South American nation exactly two months ago. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors on June 24 devastated the coastal state of La Guaira, where at least 190 buildings fell apart. The previous death toll had stood at 6,438.
Efforts to recover the dead under the rubble are ongoing in La Guaira, where thousands of people made homeless by the quakes are living in makeshift camps. The interim government has not disclosed how many people remain missing after the disaster. Authorities say they have provided 335 homes to quake victims, having pledged to provide 4,000 by the end of the year.
Last week, Venezuela carried out a readiness drill to test the provisional terminals installed at the international airport that serves Caracas, which was damaged in the twin earthquakes. The airport's infrastructure was significantly damaged, including the main runway, limiting its operations to humanitarian flights for several weeks. — AFP
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