Caracas, June 29 (SANA)The death toll from the twinearthquakesthat struck Venezuela last Wednesday has risen to nearly 1,500, while search and rescue teams continue operations in the hardest-hit areas.

According to Reuters, local authorities said rescue workers rescued additional survivors and recovered more bodies on Sunday, bringing the confirmed death toll to nearly 1,500.

International rescue teams have arrived in La Guaira state, the area hardest hit by the earthquakes, where dozens of buildings collapsed into piles of rubble. The coastal state lies about 40 km (25 miles) north ofCaracas.

Acting PresidentDelcy Rodríguezannounced the formation of a presidential committee to assess the structural safety of damaged buildings, stressing that rescue and recovery efforts would continue as additional survivors were pulled from the rubble on Sunday.

Earlier official figures released by Venezuela’s National Assembly put the toll at 1,430 dead, more than 3,200 injured and around 3,100 people left homeless before Sunday’s updated casualty figures were announced.Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced the formation of a presidential committee to assess the structural safety of damaged buildings, stressing that rescue and recovery efforts would continue after more survivors were pulled from the debris on Sunday.

Earlier, Venezuela’s National Assembly reported that the twin earthquakes had killed 1,430 people, injured 3,200 others, and left around 3,100 residents homeless.