Venezuela earthquake death toll rises above 6,000

The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June has risen to more than 6,000, according to parliamentary speaker Jorge Rodriguez on Monday.

Rodriguez said the quakes, which measured 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, killed 6,125 people and caused widespread destruction in the north of the country, especially in the coastal state of La Guaira near the capital, Caracas.

He noted that around 200 buildings collapsed as a result of the earthquakes, most of them in La Guaira, while about 20,000 people remain in temporary camps set up in stadiums, public squares, and on sidewalks.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan authorities began demolishing damaged buildings in the state last week, with official figures confirming that more than 850 structures were affected and nearly 17,000 people injured.