Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 1,719

The death toll from last week's twin earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to at least 1,719, parliamentary speaker Jorge Rodríguez announced on Monday.

Rodríguez said 5,034 people have been injured in the two earthquakes, which measured magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, according to AFP and CNN. He added that tens of thousands of people remain missing.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimates there is a 44% probability that the final death toll will exceed 10,000. According to the latest figures, at least 22,619 people have been affected by the disaster, while 189 buildings have collapsed completely.

Since Wednesday's earthquakes, authorities have recorded 609 aftershocks, Rodríguez said. One of them, measuring magnitude 4.6, struck Caracas and La Guaira state on Monday but caused no significant damage.

(tasr, AFP, CNN)