• Venezuela establishes $200 million fund for earthquake reconstruction efforts, with international donations also being accepted.
• At least 2,595 people killed, 11,000 injured, and thousands missing in the aftermath of the double earthquakes on June 24.
• Acting President Delcy Rodriguez refutes claims of state authorities failing in disaster relief efforts, citing thousands of military personnel and volunteers participating in rescue operations.

Venezuela is setting up a fund totalling an initial $200 million to help reconstruction in parts of the country hit by the powerful double earthquakes last week.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez told journalists on Thursday evening that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would release the money.

An account has also been set up at the Development Bank of Latin America for international donations and that money is also intended primarily to go towards reconstruction.

Rodríguez said at least 189 buildings were completely destroyed and at least 855 more damaged in the quakes on June 24. Hospitals were among the buildings affected; bridges and roads were also damaged.

According to the latest official figures from Thursday evening at least 2,595 people were killed in the earthquakes - 300 more than the toll given on the previous day. More than 11,000 were injured, with thousands still missing.

In the worst-hit state of La Guaira on the coast almost all local government representatives were killed in the disaster. "The situation is dramatic," Rodríguez said.

At the same time she rejected criticism that state authorities had failed in the disaster relief effort. Thousands of military personnel and civilian volunteers had taken part in the rescue work, she said.

False information had been deliberately spread to sow additional chaos, including with fake tsunami warnings, she said. The originators of these false reports had already been identified, Rodríguez said, without giving details.

Since the double quake of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 there have been 862 aftershocks, according to official figures. Their frequency and strength were decreasing, but the risk of another strong quake has not been ruled out.