Venezuela announced on Friday that the death toll from the two devastating earthquakes that struck the country has exceeded four thousand.

Venezuelan Parliament Speaker Jorge Rodríguez wrote on Telegram that at least 4,118 people were killed and 16,740 others injured in the two successive earthquakes that occurred on June 24, razing entire neighborhoods in the coastal state of La Guaira.

Rodríguez also indicated that thousands of others have been listed as missing.

The second earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.5, the strongest in Venezuela in over a century, struck 39 seconds after an initial 7.2-magnitude tremor, turning entire high-rise residential complexes into piles of rubble.

Although rescue teams have stopped searching for survivors, people continue to search the rubble themselves for the bodies of their loved ones, hoping to give them a proper burial.

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A magnitude 3 earthquake in central Caracas on Friday caused panic, prompting some to evacuate buildings.

The United Nations issued an urgent appeal on Wednesday to raise about $300 million for earthquake relief operations in Venezuela.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez called for the release of frozen assets abroad to be used in the recovery process.

On Wednesday, Rodríguez stated that she asked King Charles III to release about 30 tons of Venezuelan gold frozen under British sanctions.