Death toll in quake-hit Venezuela nears 3,000

According to Saturday's tallies updated by the Venezuelan government, the death toll from the back-to-back tremors that rocked the country last week climbed to 2,954 people and 16,592 others were injured.

The devastating destruction has left tens of thousands without housing, the official statement says. Authorities have set up 80 temporary camps to aid displaced and affected residents.

In residential complex Caraballeda in the hard-hit La Guaira region, locals are shifting from rescue to recovery efforts as they try to retrieve remains of their loved ones from unstable ruins.

Some volunteers point to the severe shortage of heavy machinery and they resort to form human chains, while utilising plastic buckets and makeshift tools to clear the debris.

Members of the overseas Chinese communities are also joining the quake relief efforts.

The Chinese Federation in Venezuela's first vice president Franco Chen says he rushed to Caraballeda shortly after the quake and the federation has been providing teams with supplies of diesel, food, drinking water, lighting equipment, and various kinds of hand tools like shovels and grinders.