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Death toll from Venezuela quakes rises to 3,535 as thousands remain displaced

By Reuters Reuters
Workers prepare graves on the day of the burial of earthquake victims, in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, at La Esperanza Cemetery, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Adriano Machado
Workers prepare graves on the day of the burial of earthquake victims, in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, at La Esperanza Cemetery, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Adriano Machado Adriano Machado Reuters

CARACAS - 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.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez has defended the government's handling of the disaster amid growing frustration from Venezuelans who have described the response as late and inadequate.

She said security forces were deployed immediately after the quakes and announced the creation of a new military unit to help tackle future emergencies and disasters.

In La Guaira on Monday, Reuters witnesses saw trucks and forensic workers transporting coffins, while machinery dug trenches in an open area marked by white crosses, where authorities were burying unidentified bodies.

The United Nations said it was continuing to ramp up aid operations in coordination with the government in Caracas.

"Some search and rescue teams remain deployed in the affected areas, while other specialized engineering teams and medical support continue to arrive," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Monday.

Dujarric said a comprehensive needs assessment that will form the basis of an updated response plan was nearly complete, though he did not say when it would be released. U.N. agencies are already providing services in three camps and assessing other sites for expanded support.

(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago and Vivian Sequera; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Daina Beth Solomon)

Juana Aiskel Fumero comforts her daughter Aiskely, as they stand in the room of Juana's late daughter, Ashley Martinez, who, along with Juana's granddaughter, Kalani Martinez, was a victim of the June 24 earthquakes, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza
Juana Aiskel Fumero comforts her daughter Aiskely, as they stand in the room of Juana's late daughter, Ashley Martinez, who, along with Juana's granddaughter, Kalani Martinez, was a victim of the June 24 earthquakes, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza Pablo Sanhueza Reuters
Portraits and boxes containing the ashes of Ashley Martinez and her daughter Kalani Martinez, who were victims of the June 24 earthquakes, stand on a table at the house of Ashley's mother, Juana Aiskel Fumero, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza

Portraits and boxes containing the ashes of Ashley Martinez and her daughter Kalani Martinez, who were victims of the June 24 earthquakes, stand on a table at the house of Ashley's mother, Juana Aiskel Fumero, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza
 Pablo Sanhueza Reuters
Juana Aiskel Fumero holds a box containing the ashes of her granddaughter, Kalani Martinez, who, along with her mother, Ashley Martinez, was a victim of the June 24 earthquakes, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza
Juana Aiskel Fumero holds a box containing the ashes of her granddaughter, Kalani Martinez, who, along with her mother, Ashley Martinez, was a victim of the June 24 earthquakes, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza Pablo Sanhueza Reuters
A view of freshly dug up graves on the day of the burial of earthquake victims, in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, at La Esperanza Cemetery, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Adriano Machado
A view of freshly dug up graves on the day of the burial of earthquake victims, in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, at La Esperanza Cemetery, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Adriano Machado Adriano Machado Reuters
A view of coffins on the day of the burial of earthquake victims, in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, at La Esperanza Cemetery, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Adriano Machado
A view of coffins on the day of the burial of earthquake victims, in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, at La Esperanza Cemetery, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Adriano Machado Adriano Machado Reuters
A drone view of coffins on the day of the burial of earthquake victims, in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, at La Esperanza Cemetery, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Adriano Machado
A drone view of coffins on the day of the burial of earthquake victims, in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, at La Esperanza Cemetery, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Adriano Machado Adriano Machado Reuters

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