The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to at least 920, President of the National Assembly Jorge Rodríguez said on Friday, as rescue efforts remain ongoing two days after the powerful tremors struck the South America country.
The number of injured people also continues to rise, now standing at 3,300, Rodríguez said.
Two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 shook northern and central Venezuela on Wednesday evening, just 39 seconds apart.
Rodríguez said 172 people are still believed to be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Given the intensity of the earthquakes, experts say the death toll could climb into the thousands.
Rescue workers are racing against the clock, with chances of survival for those still trapped under the rubble expected to diminish rapidly after 72 hours.
The damage is widespread in the state of La Guaira on the Caribbean coast, but buildings also collapsed in the capital, Caracas, and in other regions.
Rescue operations are complicated by the fact that Venezuela is one of the poorest countries in South America, mired for years in a dire economic crisis.
International aid teams are deploying to the country to assist with search efforts and deliver supplies.
The number of missing reported on an unofficial website where relatives can upload photos of their loved ones currently stands at over 50,000. It is not clear whether the figure is up-to-date as entries are updated by users themselves.
