Venezuela earthquakes kill at least 920, rescue teams rush in

A rescuer lifted an 18-day-old baby alive from the rubble in La Guaira state, one of the few brief moments of relief in a disaster that has killed at least 920 people and injured 3,360. The rescue came as families, volunteers and international teams dug through collapsed buildings for survivors after two powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela within 39 seconds of each other on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.

The first tremor was a magnitude 7.2 foreshock, followed 39 seconds later by a magnitude 7.5 mainshock. Their epicentres were in north-central Venezuela near Morón in Carabobo state, but the destruction spread far beyond the epicentral zone, with severe damage reported in and around Caracas, La Guaira and the coastal corridor leading toward the capital. Officials have said the quakes buried many people under debris, left thousands homeless and set off one of the deadliest seismic events the country has faced in generations.

By Friday, June 26, the death toll had risen to at least 920, and the number of missing people remained fluid as rescuers worked through collapsed apartment blocks, damaged roads and unstable ruins. In some neighborhoods, residents and volunteers were forced to continue the search themselves because government rescuers were in short supply, underscoring the strain on Venezuela’s emergency response system as the first critical hours slipped away.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it was coordinating the rapid deployment of urban search-and-rescue teams from across the international community and that around 1,000 personnel were involved in the response. Teams from at least 17 countries were being mobilized as the United Nations remained in contact with Venezuelan authorities. The UN also said it had spoken with the interim president as the window for finding survivors narrowed.

The earthquake sequence has exposed how vulnerable many buildings remain in the capital region and along the coast, where collapsed structures and mass displacement have quickly created a humanitarian emergency. Beyond the rising casualty figures, the immediate needs are clear: heavy rescue equipment, emergency medical care, shelter for the homeless, and sustained coordination to keep searches moving before time runs out for those still trapped beneath the wreckage.