Death toll from Venezuela earthquakes rises above 2,000

The death toll from the double earthquake that struck Venezuela has risen above 2,000, with more than 11,000 people injured and thousands still unaccounted for, according to officials and tracking groups.

Venezuelan officials said Wednesday that 2,295 people have been confirmed dead, up from 1,943 on Tuesday. The number of injured has risen to 11,267, while at least 26,403 people have been displaced or otherwise affected.

A crowdsourced tracking site, Desaparecidos Terremoto Venezuela, listed 39,610 people as still unaccounted for, down from 40,923 on Tuesday and 43,865 on Monday. The figure has not been confirmed by officials.

The earthquakes struck west of Caracas near Montalbán, shaking the capital and causing buildings to collapse in several areas. La Guaira state, north of Caracas, has been among the hardest-hit areas.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the event was a doublet, with a magnitude 7.2 earthquake followed 39 seconds later by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake.

A preliminary satellite assessment by NASA estimated that 58,870 buildings were damaged or destroyed.

The number of dead is expected to continue rising as crews reach more damaged areas and officials update casualty figures.