Twin earthquakes devastate Venezuela, rescuers race to find survivors

Twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela less than a minute apart on June 24, leaving crews digging through collapsed homes, shattered hospitals and blocked roads. By June 27, the death toll had climbed to more than 1,430, while hundreds of people were still trapped beneath rubble and many more remained missing.

The hardest-hit zone stretched across Caracas, La Guaira and the northern coast. At least eight hospitals, the Venezuelan Red Cross headquarters and the French embassy were damaged. The main airport in Maiquetía shut after taking damage, cutting one of the country’s most important logistics arteries just as rescuers needed heavy equipment, fuel and clear access to reach the wounded. Delcy Rodríguez called La Guaira a disaster zone, and the government is working with private companies to bring in machinery.

Jorge Rodríguez said about 200 people were trapped and roughly 250 buildings had been damaged or destroyed, while residents in La Guaira were digging by hand through concrete and rebar. Yamileth Jimenez said her 19-year-old son was still under a collapsed seven-story apartment building: “He’s under the slabs and there’s no machinery to get him out.”

World Vision said the quakes were followed by more than 30 aftershocks, and the destruction has left children and families facing displacement, separation, injuries and trauma. The U.S. Geological Survey warned from the outset that high casualties and extensive damage were likely, and the casualty count has surged as rescue teams continue to search through unstable buildings.

The State Department is mobilizing $150 million in assistance and deploying a Disaster Assistance Response Team, including urban search-and-rescue crews, while humanitarian groups are coordinating shipments into the country. The earthquakes hit during Venezuela’s June 24 holiday marking the Battle of Carabobo, the 1821 victory that helped secure independence from Spain.