Pakistan, June 29 -- Rescue teams continued searching for survivors in Venezuela on Sunday as the death toll from last week's twin earthquakes climbed to nearly 1,500, with thousands of people still missing across the country's hardest-hit regions.

Authorities said the powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, caused widespread destruction, particularly in La Guaira state, where hundreds of buildings collapsed. More than 2,600 rescue workers from several countries have joined local emergency teams in efforts to locate survivors trapped beneath the rubble.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said rescue operations would continue as long as there were signs of life. She announced the formation of a presidential commission to...