Death toll in Venezuela earthquakes rises to at least 164

The death toll in Venezuela’s back-to-back earthquakes has risen to at least 164 people, with 971 confirmed injured, acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez said in an update on Thursday, according to CNN.

However, the true death toll is feared to be much higher, given the number of collapsed and damaged buildings, as authorities continue search and rescue efforts.

At least 30 aftershocks have occurred since the main earthquakes, Rodríguez said.

In an interview with Venezuela’s state broadcaster, Rodríguez said she is coordinating with the United Nations to send rescuers and with the International Monetary Fund to establish an initial fund of $200 million for rebuilding the country.

Rodríguez also appealed to the private sector for assistance with heavy machinery to support rescue efforts.

The 7.5-magnitude quake struck just 40 seconds after a 7.2-magnitude foreshock.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he has been in touch with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez and that the US has deployed “search and rescue teams.”

The two large earthquakes that struck Venezuela were followed by two smaller ones, according to data from the US Geological Survey (USGS).

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake hit near Caracas just 19 minutes after the two strong earthquakes struck the northern coast of the country. Another, at magnitude 4.4, was recorded about seven hours later, also near Caracas.

The tremors are likely to continue. The USGS said that, according to its forecast, there is a 94% chance of at least one magnitude 5 aftershock within the next week.