The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela has climbed to 1,450, with more than 3,000 people injured, senior lawmaker Jorge Rodríguez said on Sunday.
The latest figure marks an increase of 20 deaths from the previously reported toll of 1,430.
Rodríguez said 3,150 people have been injured and a total of 12,721 people have been affected by the disaster.
He described the twin earthquakes as "the most brutal natural catastrophe that our country has suffered in its history" and said the country was passing through "critical hours" in efforts to save lives.
According to the official, the number of buildings damaged or destroyed has also risen to 774.
Meanwhile, the United Nations said there is still hope of finding survivors trapped beneath the rubble, although the window for rescue is rapidly closing.
Speaking from La Guaira, UN Resident Coordinator Gianluca Rampolla said experts believe some people could still be alive because of the way certain buildings collapsed.
However, he warned that "time is running short" and noted that extremely high temperatures were complicating rescue efforts.
Emergency workers continue search-and-rescue operations across the affected areas as authorities race against time to locate survivors and provide assistance to thousands of displaced and injured residents.
Source: BBC