The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on 24 June has risen to 4,930, according to a revised official update released on Thursday by parliamentary speaker Jorge Rodríguez.
The previous official toll, issued on Tuesday, put the number of dead at 4,734 and the number of injured at 16,740.
Authorities have not provided a figure for the number of missing people. The United Nations had said two days after the disaster that the total could reach 50,000, although some estimates place it closer to 10,000.
The two earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck 39 seconds apart, hitting Caracas and the neighbouring state of La Guaira particularly hard.
People displaced by the disaster are being sheltered in stadiums, public squares and on pavements in the affected areas.
European Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib travelled to the devastated country on Thursday to demonstrate the EU’s support for survivors.
In addition to €5 million in emergency aid approved at the end of June, the European Union has released €20 million to support the worst-hit communities, search and rescue operations, and medical assistance.
The European Commission has also coordinated contributions from Member States. Belgium, through B-FAST, has sent shelter equipment, including tents, to Venezuela in cooperation with Luxembourg, and has also offered crisis management expertise.
On 8 July, the United Nations launched an appeal for $296 million to help 1.3 million people affected by the twin earthquakes over the next six months.
International aid has been arriving from around the world, including from Russia, the United States and China.
