The death toll in Venezuela's twin earthquakes has surpassed 4,300, with nearly 17,000 injured and thousands missing, the government reported on Saturday. Parliament chief Jorge Rodríguez announced the updated figures on Telegram, stating that at least 4,333 people died and 16,740 were injured in the back-to-back quakes on 24 June that devastated coastal La Guaira state.
Scale of Destruction
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake, the largest in Venezuela in over a century, struck 39 seconds after a 7.2-magnitude shock, leveling entire high-rise apartment blocks. Rescue teams have ceased searching for survivors, but families continue to dig through rubble hoping to recover loved ones for burial. On Friday, a 3.0-magnitude tremor in central Caracas caused panic and building evacuations.
Recovery Challenges
The recovery effort is immense, with state services weakened by a prolonged economic crisis. The United Nations issued an urgent appeal for nearly $300 million to aid 1.3 million people in urgent need. Mobile kitchens, clinics, and field hospitals now dot public spaces in La Guaira. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction estimates direct physical damage at about $37 billion.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has requested the release of frozen foreign assets, including 30 tons of Venezuelan gold held under UK sanctions, which she asked King Charles to release. She defended the government's emergency response, vowing no social unrest, though many Venezuelans expressed anger at what they see as an inadequate response before international teams arrived.
