Venezuela quake death toll rises to 4,490

Caracas: The official death toll from Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes rose to nearly 4,500 on Sunday, as the government reported more than 19,500 people were now living in camps due to the destruction.

The latest toll offered by the government on its official Telegram account listed 4,490 as dead -- about 150 higher than the day prior -- and 16,740 injured.

It did not give an estimate for the number of people still unaccounted for.


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On June 24, the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes hit Caracas and the coastal state of La Guaira, flattening entire high-rise apartment blocks into layers of rubble.

Camps for families left homeless have sprung up in stadiums, plazas and on sidewalks in La Guaira as well as nearby Caracas.

The government update on Sunday said 19,583 people were living in the camps.

On Saturday, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez -- the brother of interim leader Delcy Rodriguez -- said the government will begin providing some apartments to families in the coming days that were under construction before the quake.

But he added that significant resources will be needed to build more, provide rental assistance and offer loans for property purchases.

The government has allocated more than 40 plots of land in La Guaira, totaling about 584,000 square meters, for the construction of new homes, Rodriguez said.

Foreign Minister Yvan Gil meanwhile reported Sunday on his Telegram account that an aid shipment from Russia had arrived.

The US Embassy said it has delivered 100,000 aid kits to the affected communities.