Death Toll Climbs in Oil Barge Sinking Off Venezuela

At least four people have been reported dead following the sinking of an oil barge operated by a contractor of Venezuela's state-run energy company PDVSA at the country's Lake Maracaibo, according to a report of the accident on Thursday and sources.

Another 19 people had been successfully rescued by Thursday morning at the accident site, the report added.

Incidents involving barges that carry Venezuelan oil and fuel between domestic ports and to the Caribbean have become frequent. A large fuel oil spill near Tobago from a capsized barge navigating from Venezuela hit several Caribbean nations in March.

PDVSA did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

(Reuters - Reporting by Mircely Guanipa, Mariela Nava and Deisy Buitrago. Editing by Marianna Parraga)