A Venezuelan official announced Friday that the death toll from this week's devastating earthquakes has risen to 929, with 3,360 injured. The figure is a sharp increase from the previous confirmed count of 589 reported hours earlier, as rescue operations reach further disaster zones.
The official death toll from this week's catastrophic earthquakes in Venezuela has surged to 929, with 3,360 injured, a Venezuelan official said Friday evening. The figure nearly doubles the previous confirmed count of 589, which was announced earlier Friday by the president, as The Zioneer reported at 15:39 Jerusalem. Rescue teams continue reaching devastated areas; an earlier bulletin at 19:44 Jerusalem noted an estimated 50,000 people still unaccounted for, though that figure remains unverified.
Antecedents to this latest tally show a rapid escalation of confirmed fatalities: at 20:43 Jerusalem on Thursday, the National Assembly president reported 188 dead and 1,520 wounded (The Zioneer bulletin, version 1). By the same Thursday evening time, the Health Ministry confirmed 235 dead (version 2). The president's Friday update at 15:39 Jerusalem raised the toll to 589 with 2,980 wounded (version 3). The official count has thus climbed from 164 on Thursday (as The Zioneer reported at 16:21 Jerusalem) to 589 Friday morning, and now 929.
As The Zioneer reported earlier, the twin tremors struck on Thursday, causing widespread structural collapse and prompting a state of emergency. La Guaira was designated a disaster area and the International Airport there remains closed (The Zioneer, 16:21 Jerusalem, Thursday). A resident described a neighboring building completely collapsing, with rescue crews still extracting wounded (The Zioneer, 18:09 Jerusalem, Thursday). The US Geological Survey had assessed a high probability of numerous casualties and extensive damage (The Zioneer, 04:06 Jerusalem, Thursday).
The figure of 50,000 missing, cited in an earlier report at 19:44 Jerusalem Friday, remains unverified. The death toll is expected to rise further as search operations continue to reach additional disaster zones.
4 developments
- DevelopingUnconfirmed report: Venezuela earthquake death toll spikes to nearly 1,500
- StrongVenezuela: estimated 50,000 still missing after earthquakes
- StrongVenezuela resident describes building collapse, ongoing rescues after quake
- DevelopingVenezuela cities collapse in 'absolutely psychotic' earthquake disaster, source claims
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