Web Desk: The number of people confirmed dead after two powerful earthquakes struck western Venezuela has climbed to 920 as emergency crews continue searching for survivors buried beneath collapsed buildings officials said Friday.
Jorge Rodriguez president of the National Assembly announced the updated death toll while warning that the number is expected to rise as rescue operations move deeper into the hardest hit communities.
Authorities said hundreds of people are still believed to be trapped beneath the rubble nearly two days after magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck about 160 kilometers west of Caracas.
Meanwhile an online registry created for families searching for missing relatives had recorded more than 50000 unaccounted for people by midday Friday. The figure closely matched estimates provided by the United Nations emergency relief office.
Foreign rescue teams and humanitarian aid began arriving in Venezuela on Friday as local emergency workers and volunteers searched damaged neighborhoods for signs of life.
Rodriguez said 871 international rescue personnel had reached the country by Friday afternoon. Rescue crews from Mexico El Salvador and Spain were among those assisting Venezuelan authorities.
The scale of the catastrophe continues to raise concerns among disaster experts. The United States Geological Survey has projected that the final death toll could exceed 10000 if additional victims are found.
If those estimates prove accurate the twin earthquakes could rank among the deadliest natural disasters to strike Latin America in the past century.
Emergency operations remain underway as authorities continue clearing debris assessing structural damage and searching for survivors across the affected region.
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