Death Toll From Venezuela Quakes Reaches 1,450

MEXICO CITY, June 29 (Bernama-dpa) -- The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to at least 1,450 with more than 3,200 people injured, authorities said on Sunday.

Thousands are still believed to be trapped beneath the rubble, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, reported German news agency dpa.

Hopes of finding survivors are fading with each passing hour, although thousands of rescue workers from Venezuela and 24 other countries continue to search through the debris.

Rodríguez said the magnitude-7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck back-to-back on Wednesday had been followed by 430 aftershocks.

The worst destruction was reported in the coastal state of La Guaira and in the capital, Caracas, where entire blocks of high-rise buildings were levelled.

Around 30,000 Venezuelan emergency workers and 2,700 rescue experts from abroad have been deployed to search for survivors.

Experts warn that the critical window for finding survivors narrows sharply after 72 hours, raising fears that time is running out for those still buried beneath the debris.

More than 2,500 residential buildings and other facilities have completely collapsed or been severely damaged, including about 780 homes and 38 hospitals, according to the latest damage assessment.

--BERNAMA-dpa