Venezuelan death toll rises amid desperate search for survivors
At least 589 people have been killed and thousands injured, officials said.
Massive search and rescue operations were underway in Venezuela on Friday as civilians and emergency workers rushed to find those trapped beneath the rubble more than a day after devastating twin earthquakes killed at least 589 people and injured more than 2,000 others.
But time is starting to run out to ensure thousands still buried under the debris of crumbled buildings are found alive.
“The first few hours were the most important,” said Daniela Guerra, one of the many civilian volunteers who have been showing up to destroyed sites across Caracas to help with cleanup and find survivors.
“There were several moments in which we would ask for silence, and yell out, ‘Is anyone alive?’” Guerra said in Spanish while taking a break from rescue efforts Thursday afternoon.
Television footage showed emergency workers rescuing injured people and animals from collapsed buildings. Many were covered in dust and blood as distraught relatives cried out for loved ones and others frantically searched for more survivors.
Among those rescued from the rubble was Graciela Mora. Speaking to Noticias Telemundo from a stretcher, the woman said she gripped on to her doorframe so hard that her arm broke. Mora said her building crumbled on top of her so quickly she “didn’t even have time to cry.”
Complicating rescue efforts, she said, is the lack of supplies and equipment; in fact, some of the machinery brought for cleanup belonged to other civilians. Guerra said they initially began clearing rubble without gloves and some volunteers injured their hands in the process.
“Everything being done is with civilian assistance,” Guerra said, emphasizing the need for international help to save more lives.
In La Guaira, volunteers who lacked specialized machinery to rescue survivors heard a baby crying inside a collapsed building Thursday night. With their bare hands, they began clearing the rubble to reach the infant who appeared to be unharmed.
The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes struck west of the capital, Caracas, on Wednesday evening less than a minute apart. They were among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, sending tremors across much of the country and neighboring areas.
Rescue Efforts Continue In Venezuela After A Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Struck The Country
Search efforts in La Guaira, Venezuela, on Thursday. Jesus Vargas / Getty Images
A senior U.S. Southern Command official arrived in Caracas late Thursday to oversee Washington’s relief efforts.
Marine Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard will work to coordinate the U.S. response, the military said.
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President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States was “ready, willing and able to help” Venezuela.
Hospitals had reached capacity by Thursday evening as the country’s health system struggled to cope with the influx of patients, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said on state television.
Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said late Thursday that about 200 people remained trapped beneath collapsed buildings, while around 250 structures had been damaged or destroyed.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency following the quakes, ordering the closure of Caracas’ international airport, suspending metro and rail services in affected areas and shutting schools for the remainder of the week.
Overnight, thousands of people who lost their homes slept outdoors, sheltering in tents or sleeping on benches and makeshift beds after being displaced by the disaster.
As rescue efforts unfolded, the acting president visited the coastal town of Macuto in La Guaira state, one of the areas hit hardest by the earthquakes.
“We are supporting the families, and they have our solidarity. We hope to recover alive as many people as possible,” she said.
The state, which borders Caracas and is home to the capital’s main international airport, saw about 70,000 families affected, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said.
Destruction following a twin earthquake in Caraballeda, Venezuela, northeast of Caracas, on June 25, 2026.
Destruction following a twin earthquake in Caraballeda, Venezuela, northeast of Caracas on Thursday.Federico Parra / AFP via Getty Images
In La Guaira, José Rolón was celebrating his birthday at a pool in his brother’s apartment building when disaster struck.
“I felt the floor start to shake violently. The water in the pool began to churn wildly, like a heavy swell,” Rolón told Noticias Telemundo in Spanish. As everyone inside the pool began to get out, they saw the building next to them collapse.
“It was a moment of shock,” Rolón said, adding that he spent the night sleeping inside his car with his 4-year-old and 2-year-old children.
A website created to help locate missing people listed more than 50,000 as unaccounted for as families searched for loved ones. It reported that 8,000 people have been found so far.
Several countries have also reported citizens among the dead and missing, including Brazil, China, Italy and Spain.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s predictive modeling suggested the number of fatalities could climb to more than 10,000 as rescue crews continue searching through collapsed buildings and piles of rubble for survivors.
Apartment building in La Guaira, Venezuela, on June 22, 2026 and on June 25 after the earthquakes.
Apartment building in La Guaira, Venezuela, on June 22, and on June 25 after the earthquakes.Vantor
Governments and humanitarian organizations around the world mobilized assistance, with emergency supplies and rescue teams arriving from countries across Latin America, Europe and Asia.
The State Department said it was mobilizing $150 million in aid for Venezuela. The aid was going through assistance partners like charity groups and a $100 million contribution to a U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs fund.
The Trump administration also eased sanctions to authorize transactions related to quake relief that would otherwise be prohibited.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington would deploy search and rescue teams, while the Pentagon would provide logistical support and help restore operations at Caracas’ damaged airport.
United Nations’ Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher wrote on social media that search and rescue teams were being deployed from around the world.
“Every hour counts,” he said.
Ana Vanessa Herrero reported from Caracas, Elmira Aliieva from London, and Nicole Acevedo from New York