Venezuela quake death toll rises as rescue crews search rubble

Rescue crews dug through rubble in Caracas and nearby towns as Venezuela’s earthquake death toll climbed and officials warned that many more people could still be trapped. Initial counts on June 25 ranged from at least 32 dead to at least 164, before live updates put the toll at 188 killed, about 1,520 injured and roughly 200 trapped.

The destruction began with a rare earthquake doublet on June 24, when a magnitude 7.2 shock hit, followed about 39 seconds later by a magnitude 7.5 mainshock off Venezuela’s northern coast, west of Caracas. The U.S. Geological Survey placed the stronger quake near Morón in Carabobo state at a depth of about 10 kilometers and said it was the largest to hit Venezuela or its immediate coastal area in more than a century. Officials and local reports described collapsed residential buildings, damage at Maiquetía airport, road closures, utility outages and gas shutoffs across neighborhoods including Catia La Mar, Altamira, Los Palos Grandes and Chacao.

The quake sequence struck a capital already braced for political strain and physical vulnerability. Venezuela’s worst modern earthquake was the 1967 Caracas quake, which killed roughly 225 to 300 people and heavily damaged the city, a grim comparison that now shadows a disaster unfolding in the same urban corridor. The rarity of a doublet quake has made the damage worse, as repeated shaking can compromise structures that survive the first hit.

Washington moved quickly to signal that its new opening to Caracas would have to be measured in rescue aircraft, medical supplies and search teams, not just diplomatic language. The Trump administration said it was in touch with Venezuelan authorities and mobilizing assistance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was sending search-and-rescue teams. The State Department said U.S. personnel in Caracas were safe. The response comes as the State Department and Treasury have eased parts of Venezuela sanctions through multiple general licenses and humanitarian authorizations, giving the White House more room to maneuver without fully resetting relations.

Interim Venezuelan authorities, including Delcy Rodríguez, declared a state of emergency and thanked the United States and other governments for offers of help. China and Brazil sent humanitarian aid, Qatar prepared a rescue brigade, and Spain, France and Germany offered rescuers and transport aircraft, turning the quake response into an early test of whether humanitarian cooperation can outlast the hostility that has defined U.S.-Venezuela ties for years.