The number of casualties from the series of powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on the 24th (local time) has exceeded 1,700.

Jorge Rodríguez, President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, announced in a televised briefing on the 25th (local time) that the death toll from the earthquakes has reached 188, with 1,520 people injured.

As search and rescue operations are still ongoing, the scale of the damage is likely to increase further.

He added that 200 people remain trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings, with rescue efforts underway, and the number of missing persons has reached 157.

It has been determined that 2,927 households have been displaced due to the earthquakes.

Rodríguez also stated that at least 250 buildings have been damaged.

He explained that social infrastructure, including hospitals, suffered significant damage, with 8 hospitals, 20 shopping centers, and 46 public infrastructure facilities affected.

"We are conducting rescue operations amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings and are in a race against time to save those trapped inside," Rodríguez emphasized.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)