Venezuela earthquake death toll rises to 5,346

The death toll from a powerful double earthquake that struck northern Venezuela nearly a month ago has climbed to 5,346, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez. The latest update on Tuesday added 68 fatalities to the grim tally.

The disaster, which began with a magnitude 7.2 quake followed by a 7.5 magnitude tremor on June 24, has left 16,740 people injured and displaced 17,907 others. Authorities report that 23,122 individuals are currently housed in 107 temporary camps, with 128,324 families receiving assistance.

The earthquakes also caused significant structural damage, affecting 856 buildings and collapsing 190. Since the initial quakes, Venezuela has registered 1,405 aftershocks. On Monday, the government began delivering the first batch of new housing to affected families.

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The number of dead from the double earthquake in northern Venezuela has risen to 5,346, after authorities added 68 deaths.

In an effort to identify the deceased, the Venezuelan government has launched a call for voluntary DNA sample collection. Relatives of those believed to be in morgues in the most devastated state of La Guaira or in Bello Monte, Caracas, are urged to participate in the scientific identification process to provide closure.

While official figures on the missing are not provided, the citizen initiative 'Desaparecidos Terremoto Venezuela' lists 29,500 people who have not been contacted since the earthquakes. Unconfirmed numbers received by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in June suggested the number of missing could reach 50,000. Earlier this month, witnesses reported that unidentified earthquake victims were being buried in mass graves in La Guaira.

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To achieve the identification of victims through scientific comparisons of genetic profiles and provide certainty and peace to families.