Venezuela quake leaves 2,300 dead, 40,000 missing

The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June

mounts to close to 2,300 while the number of injured climbs to more than 11,000.

Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez says at least 12,800

continue to be affected and 6,400 rescued by domestic and international efforts.

Thousands of displaced Venezuelans are sleeping in crowded shelters

or outside without access to clean water amid dismal sanitary conditions.

Many thousands remain missing, adding ambiguity to the temblors'

complete toll and leaving families in an agonising limbo as they wait

days by collapsed buildings, hoping for the bodies of their loved ones to

surface.

One non-governmental digital database where families can register missing

loved ones showed over 40,600 people still unaccounted for as of Wednesday.