CARACAS, July 12. /TASS/. The government of Venezuela thanked Russia for its delivery of humanitarian assistance to earthquake-hit areas of the country.
"On behalf of the Bolivarian government we thank the Russian Federation for its support and solidarity with victims of the June 24 earthquake, and for the delivery of humanitarian cargo, which includes food and essential goods," Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto wrote on Telegram.
He emphasized that the people of Venezuela know they can always count on Russia’s solidarity.
A powerful earthquake struck Venezuela on the evening of June 24. Two series of tremors measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 were recorded within 40 seconds of each other. Their epicenters were located in the state of Yaracuy, ten kilometers apart. After the doublet earthquakes, 1,202 aftershocks were registered. As of July 11, the official death toll stands at 4,333, with 16,740 wounded.
A total of 17,907 people were left homeless. As many as 190 buildings were completely ruined and 856 sustained significant damage. As many as 6,462 people have been rescued. 18,437 people have been accommodated at 94 tent camps, and 9,766 metric tons of food has been distributed to those affected.