THE death ‌toll from last week’s twin earthquakes in Venezuela has climbed to at least 1,450, with more than 68,900 reported as still missing, authorities said today.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said: “We must report that the number of fatalities has reached 1,450 people, women and men who lost their lives as a result of the most brutal natural catastrophe that our country ​has ever suffered in its history.”

She also reported that so far some 3,150 people were injured and 12,721 displaced, while 774 buildings had collapsed.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said on Sunday that rescue teams were racing against the clock to find ​survivors.

The US Geological Survey estimated ‌more than 10,000 deaths were possible from the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes.

Rescue teams from across the world continue to pour into Venezuela.

Sebastian Eugster, the leader of the Swiss rescue team, said: “There exists a window of roughly three days, 72 hours, where the probability afterwards decreases that you can save people alive.”

An 80-strong team had found multiple people alive in the rubble thanks to alerts from their eight search dogs, but had not been able to pull them out in time to save them, he added.