[Source: Reuters]
The death toll from Venezuela’s twin earthquakes has risen to 3,535, authorities said on Monday, while nearly 18,000 people remain homeless more than a week after the disaster struck the capital and nearby coastal areas.
Top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said the latest official tally showed 16,740 people injured and 17,854 left without housing after the June 24 quakes, which measured magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 and struck within seconds of each other.
The new figures underscore the scale of the disaster in and around Caracas and La Guaira, the coastal area hit hardest, as criticism mounts over the government’s response.
Venezuela’s social vice presidency said at least 12,800 people were staying in 80 shelters across Caracas and La Guaira.
Dr. Mauricio Cerpa Calderon, an adviser to the Emergency Operations Center of the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, warned of the health risks mounting in these temporary sites.
“An event associated with or following an earthquake is the setting up of temporary shelters or camps,” Cerpa told Reuters. “These health risks are related to overcrowding, limited ventilation, interrupted access to safe drinking water, water and sanitation issues, and inadequate handling of food and waste.”
