The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela has risen sharply to 164, according to the country's interim president. According to the report, interim president Delcy Rodriguez said that 164 people have now died following the disaster, a steep increase from the figure that had been given earlier in the day as authorities worked to assess the full impact.
The new total marks a dramatic jump from the first official estimate. According to the report, the first estimate of the number of deaths given this morning, around five hours earlier, had stood at 32, but that figure has now climbed to 164 as the scale of the destruction across the country becomes clearer.
The quakes had hit in quick succession the previous evening. According to the report, the two earthquakes struck at around 6pm local time on Wednesday, just 39 seconds apart, with the first measured at a magnitude of 7.2 and the second, even stronger, recorded at a magnitude of 7.5.
Alongside the rising death toll, the number of injured has also climbed sharply. According to the report, interim president Delcy Rodriguez has said that at least 971 people are now confirmed injured, up from an earlier estimate of more than 700, placing further strain on the country's emergency services and hospitals as treatment of the wounded continues.
Many families are still searching for missing relatives. According to the report, one website that is compiling details of people reported missing and uncontactable currently lists 11,482 people said to be out of contact, a figure that underlines the difficulty of accounting for everyone in the affected areas.
The disaster has compounded an already difficult situation in the country. According to the report, the earthquakes caused widespread devastation, and the authorities have been dealing with collapsed buildings and disrupted communications as rescue teams continue their search and the official figures are expected to be updated further.