CARACAS, June 30. /Dunyo IA/. Number of people killed in two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has reached 1,719, while 5,034 people have been injured, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing CNN.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, said in a televised address that tens of thousands of people remain missing five days after the disaster. He also noted that 15,866 people have been left homeless.

Search and rescue operations are being hampered by ongoing aftershocks. Since the initial earthquakes, around 500 aftershocks have been recorded, including a magnitude 5.2 quake that struck yesterday morning. More than 2,000 rescuers from 27 countries are currently involved in search efforts.

Around 2,500 buildings have been destroyed or damaged as a result of the earthquakes. The United Nations estimates the total damage at $6.7 billion, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela’s GDP.