Twin earthquakes struck northern Venezuela, leaving tens of thousands missing and whole neighborhoods in ruins.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA — The death toll from two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela rose above 1,400 as rescue crews searched collapsed buildings along the coast and in parts of Caracas, officials said Saturday.
The sharp rise deepened a national disaster that began Wednesday night, when two major quakes hit less than a minute apart. Officials reported thousands of injuries and tens of thousands of people still unaccounted for, while foreign rescue teams, medical workers and aid shipments moved into the country.
The quakes, reported at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck west of Caracas and sent buildings crashing into streets, homes and businesses across northern Venezuela. La Guaira, a coastal state near the capital, was among the hardest hit areas. National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said the confirmed toll had climbed as crews reached more damaged neighborhoods. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said the government was trying to save “as many as possible” as aftershocks kept many residents outside and slowed searches inside unstable buildings.
Officials said more than 3,000 people were injured, and estimates of the missing ranged into the tens of thousands as reports came in from coastal towns, hillside neighborhoods and dense parts of Caracas. In some places, residents used shovels, buckets and their hands before heavy equipment arrived. Rescue workers searched concrete piles with dogs, listening devices and cameras, while hospitals treated crush injuries, fractures and dehydration. Authorities said the number of dead was expected to rise because many buildings remained unsafe or unreachable.
The disaster hit a country already strained by years of economic collapse, migration, power problems and a weakened health system. Damage to roads, hospitals, water systems and the power grid slowed the response in several communities. Simón Bolívar International Airport, a key entry point near Caracas, had damage that delayed some flights before at least one runway reopened for aid. The United Nations estimated damage in the billions of dollars, a figure that does not include longer economic losses from closed ports, ruined homes and damaged public services.
More than 14,000 military and police personnel were deployed to secure damaged zones and support rescue work, officials said. Foreign teams from the Americas and Europe joined the effort, bringing search dogs, medical supplies and equipment. The United States, Mexico, Brazil, France, Argentina and other countries offered help or sent teams. Authorities restricted access to some of the worst hit areas to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles and to reduce the risk from damaged structures. Officials did not give a full date for when search operations would shift from rescue to recovery.
In La Guaira, survivors slept in open areas, parking lots and makeshift camps because they feared more aftershocks or did not have homes to return to. Families moved between shelters, hospitals and rubble piles looking for relatives. Some residents criticized delays and said they saw neighbors leading the first rescues before organized help arrived. Red Cross workers said fear remained high as people weighed whether to enter cracked buildings to collect medicine, documents and clothing. Authorities said inspections were underway to decide which structures must be evacuated or demolished.
The government said casualty figures would be updated as crews reached more sites and hospitals reported new deaths. The next major milestone is the continued search through the weekend as rescue teams focus on collapsed buildings in La Guaira, Caracas and nearby communities.
Author note: Last updated June 28, 2026.