The tragic toll from the two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale that struck Venezuela continues to rise, with the death toll now standing at 1,430 and the number of injured reaching 3,238, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez.

Following the earthquakes, 3,142 people were left homeless. Meanwhile, rescue teams are racing against time to locate survivors, as the 72-hour mark since the deadly earthquakes approaches—a period considered critical for rescue operations. Following the earthquakes, 3,142 people were left homeless.

There have been 430 aftershocks since the quakes, and more than 70,000 families have received aid from the authorities in the wake of the disaster. Three days after the earthquakes, the fate of tens of thousands of people in Venezuela remains unclear.

Despite the difficulties, there are still moments that inspire hope. A newborn baby was pulled alive from the rubble, while rescuers continue their search around the clock in areas that have been leveled.

The country’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said she remains hopeful that survivors will be found, as rescue operations continue under extremely difficult conditions.

The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck less than a minute apart, on a national holiday, when most people were at home, a factor that contributed to the high number of casualties.

A Race Through the Rubble
Many residents have taken it upon themselves to search for their loved ones, criticizing the limited presence of government rescue teams in heavily affected areas. Despite government assurances of a “strong mobilization,” the situation on the ground remains disheartening.

The testimonies of residents who remain outside destroyed buildings, anxiously watching the rescue efforts, are heart-wrenching. In La Guaira, Nazareth Jiménez broke down in tears as neighbors tried to break through the concrete slabs with tools to reach her trapped relatives.

“My God, how are we going to get them out of there?” she said in despair, appealing for help and heavy machinery from the government and the international community. “There are still people alive in there.”

"The government hasn’t supported us. We’re the ones who’ve saved our families," many Venezuelans report, claiming that aid still hasn’t arrived. More than 40 hours have passed, and many people remain trapped under the rubble. pic.twitter.com/K0CerrdQmw

— Alerta Mundial (@AlertaMundoNews) June 26, 2026

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Nearly seven million people
affected Nearly seven million people will be affected by the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela, with nearly 1,000 dead and tens of thousands missing, the United Nations estimated today. “Up to 6.76 million people may have been affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela,” including two million in Caracas alone, noted the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), clarifying that its estimates are based on available demographic data and damage assessments. These estimates underscore “the potentially severe humanitarian impact of the disaster,” the IOM emphasizes.

Venezuela Welcomed 1,600 Foreign Rescuers
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government announced today that 1.600 members of rescue teams from foreign countries have arrived in the country to assist in the search for survivors of the twin deadly earthquakes.

Residents and volunteers in La Guaira, a popular tourist destination where at least 100 buildings—many of them high-rise apartment complexes— were destroyed or severely damaged, have been complaining for days about a lack of heavy equipment and a limited presence of government officials.

“In the last few hours, Venezuela has received 17 flights carrying more than 1,600 rescue workers, and 25 additional flights are expected to arrive in the next 24 hours,”said Foreign Ministry official Oliver Blanco.

“We thank the international community for its support and solidarity during these uncertain times for the citizens of Venezuela,” Blanco added. Rescue workers are heading to areas around La Guaira and the capital, Caracas, although yesterday there was no official presence in some areas as families and neighbors struggled to find their loved ones amid the rubble, in many cases digging with their bare hands.

Officials closed the road between La Guaira and Caracas last night, saying that heavy traffic was hindering the rapid passage of ambulances and rescue teams.

Citizens who are not part of official rescue teams will need credentials to pass through the roadblocks, and citizens who spoke to Reuters said they were not allowed by the police to use the mainhighway this morning, while a side road was gridlocked with traffic.

The government had previously thanked citizens who delivered aid, often on motorcycles, to those affected. Venezuelan state television aired footage showing thousands of pairs of shoes, clothing, and other relief supplies collected by the government.

Power had not yet been restored yesterday in the area near the epicenter of the earthquake, in Morón, nor in La Guaira; but it has been restored in other areas, with President Rodríguez announcing that 60% of the power supply has been restored.

Although the government says that hundreds of people are missing or trapped, more than 54,000 names have been registered as missing on a website created by the country’s opposition.
The United Nations estimates that the immediate damage from the earthquakes could amount to $6.7 billion.

Chaos, looting, and shortages
At the same time, scenes of chaos are being reported in several areas, with lines forming outside stores and pharmacies, while in some cases there have been incidents of looting of basic goods such as food and essential supplies. In one incident, a woman threw herself to the ground to protect diapers she had purchased for her baby from a store.

At the same time, rescue operations are being hampered by traffic congestion and noise, with rescuers from Mexico and other countries repeatedly asking for silence so they could detect possible signs of life beneath the rubble.

Venezuelans took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands Friday in the aftermath of back-to-back earthquakes, citing the scarcity of government rescuers, as the death toll from the disaster climbed to at least 920 dead and more than 3,300 injured.
AP Video/Juan Arraez pic.twitter.com/iWJa1BbMON

— The Associated Press (@AP) June 26, 2026