Death toll from Venezuela earthquakes climbs to 920, with 3,360 injured

The death toll from a series of powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela surpassed 900 within two days, with casualties rising rapidly as search operations intensify.

National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodriguez announced in a televised address Friday (local time) that the death toll from the earthquakes had climbed to 920.

He added that the number of injured had risen to 3,360 and that more than 4,000 people had been displaced.

The official death toll stood at 589 when acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced it that morning — a figure that jumped by more than 300 in just a few hours.

The scale of casualties has grown sharply as military personnel and international rescue teams have been deployed to the affected areas.

On infrastructure damage, Rodriguez said 1,423 structures across the country had been affected. "Residential buildings, as well as hospital facilities and commercial stores, have been destroyed in various ways," he said.

He said more than 2 million food rations had been distributed to directly support earthquake victims and their families.

Meanwhile, the UN said more than 50,000 people remain missing in the wake of the disaster.

"Because more than 50,000 people are missing, searching through the rubble of buildings is going to be an enormous task," UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher told AFP that day.