Thousands of people are still unaccounted for more than a week after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, damaging thousands of buildings.
About 50,000 people are unaccounted after Venezuela was rocked by two earthquakes (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Nearly 50,000 people are unaccounted for after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, officials said.
At least 2,295 people have died, with another 11,267 injured from the pair of earthquakes that struck on June 24, toppling buildings and forcing residents into the streets, said Venezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday. Officials say the death toll will continue to climb.
Rodriguez said 26,403 people have been impacted, including those who've lost their homes or had their homes severely damaged. With only one week since the quakes, rescue efforts are still ongoing.
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The International Rescue Committee said children are among the nearly 50,000 people still missing, as searchers comb through the rubble with bare hands to find survivors.
NASA estimates that more than 58,000 buildings may have been damaged or destroyed by the quakes.
NASA has estimated that more than 58,000 buildings have been impacted (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The United Nations migration agency said that up to 6.8 million people could be affected by the disaster, and would require shelter, water, sanitation, and healthcare.
Rodriquez said on Monday that 855 buildings have been damaged, including 189 "total collapses," but an assessment of satellite data published by NASA has raised the prospect of more widespread damage.
After analyzing high-resolution radar images gathered following the quakes by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 satellites, researchers at Oregon State University stated that "approximately 58,870 buildings were likely damaged or destroyed across the affected region."
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Millions of people may require food, water, and shelter (Image: Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)
They added: "This is a preliminary, rapid assessment. It reflects abrupt surface change consistent with damage."
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has sounded the alarm over possible disease outbreaks as Venezuela's damaged health facilities struggle to cope in the aftermath of the quakes.
"The health services are under extreme pressure now, with facilities operating beyond the capacity," said spokesperson Christian Lindmeier at a press conference in Geneva.
He added that there was an "increased risk" of measles and diphtheria outbreaks due to low pre-quake vaccination levels. Other risks include yellow fever, malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika.