Venezuela quake death toll rises to 1,430: Assembly chief

Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said Saturday that the death toll from twin earthquakes that struck the South American country earlier this week has risen to 1,430, with thousands more injured and displaced according to official figures released in a televised address.

Casualties climb as rescue continues

Rodriguez said in a national broadcast that 3,238 people sustained injuries and 3,142 were displaced from their homes following Wednesday's seismic events. The senior lawmaker provided the updated figures as rescue teams continued operations across the affected regions, though authorities have not yet released comprehensive estimates of structural damage or economic loss.

Twin tremors strike 39 seconds apart

The United States Geological Survey reported that two powerful earthquakes measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday, separated by just 39 seconds. The magnitude 7.5 tremor originated 23 kilometers southeast of Yumare in Yaracuy state, while the magnitude 7.2 quake occurred 23.9 kilometers northeast of San Felipe, according to the agency's seismic monitoring division.

Rescue efforts have focused on the mountainous Yaracuy region where the twin quakes caused widespread disruption. Officials warned that aftershocks may continue in the coming days as seismologists monitor fault line activity across the seismically active northern belt.