The death toll from the powerful twin earthquakes in Venezuela at the end of June this year has risen to 6,509, the country's government said on Monday.

The quakes, with a magnitude of 7.2 and 7.5 respectively, caused great destruction in the state of La Guaira, where thousands of people are homeless after at least 190 buildings collapsed.

It is not known how many are still missing after the earthquake. The search is still ongoing for dead buried in the rubble.