Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Nears 3,000 Amid $37 Billion Damage Estimate

• Venezuela’s twin earthquakes on June 24 caused almost 3,000 deaths.
• Direct physical damage estimated at $37 billion by the UN.
• Quakes registered 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes, striking 39 seconds apart.

Venezuela’s north-central region was struck by powerful twin earthquakes on June 24, registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 just 39 seconds apart. The official death toll from these tremors, described as the strongest in a century, has continued to rise, reaching almost 3,000 by Saturday. This follows an earlier report on Friday of 2,595 fatalities, marking an increase of 300 from the prior day. Concurrently, a United Nations assessment estimates the direct physical damage to housing and infrastructure at approximately $37 billion, with $24 billion attributed to buildings and $13 billion to infrastructure. Rescue operations have been ongoing for over a week following the disaster.