Death Toll from Venezuela Earthquakes Climbs to 920 as Rescue Efforts Intensify

Addis Ababa, June 26, 2026 (FMC) — The death toll from the devastating twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela has risen to 920, while 3,360 people have been injured, according to the latest official figures released on Friday.

The updated casualty figures were announced by the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly as search-and-rescue operations continued across the country’s worst-affected areas, where emergency crews and volunteers are racing against time to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

The powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes, struck just seconds apart late Wednesday, causing widespread destruction in and around the capital, Caracas, and the coastal state of La Guaira, where scores of residential buildings, hotels and public infrastructure collapsed.

Thousands of people remain unaccounted for, raising fears that the death toll could continue to rise as rescue teams gain access to heavily damaged areas.

The Venezuelan government has declared a state of emergency and mobilized military personnel, civil protection units and emergency responders to support rescue and relief operations. Authorities have also established emergency shelters for displaced families and pledged financial assistance for reconstruction.

International humanitarian assistance continues to expand, with more than a dozen countries dispatching urban search-and-rescue teams, medical personnel, relief supplies and financial aid to support the emergency response.

The United Nations and other international organizations have also joined relief efforts, while several governments have pledged additional assistance as Venezuela confronts one of the deadliest natural disasters in its modern history.

The twin earthquakes are considered the country’s strongest in more than a century, with extensive damage reported to homes, hospitals, transport infrastructure and public utilities. Rescue operations remain underway as authorities continue assessing the full scale of the disaster.