The death toll in Venezuela reaches 2,595 as the cost of the strongest earthquake in a century increases
People walk past a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 25, 2026. The twin earthquakes have killed 32 people and injured more than 700, the country’s interim president said on June 25, after a massive earthquake collapsed buildings and sent people running in panic.
Manaure Quintero Afp | Getty Images
The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela has risen to 2,595, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on Friday, an increase of 300 from the previous day, as rescue operations continued for more than a week after the country’s strongest earthquake in more than a century.
The government has not completed its search and rescue efforts, Rodríguez said in his first press conference since taking office in January after the US military operation that captured the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro.
More than 12,000 people were injured, Rodríguez said, without specifying how many were missing. According to an unofficial list widely circulated online, about 38,500 people were still unaccounted for, down from about 60,000 in the days after the quake.
The 7.2 quake was followed seconds later by a 7.5 quake last Wednesday, the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900. The quake toppled buildings across Caracas and La Guaira – the worst-affected coastal region – and severely damaged the Simón Bolívar International Airport, the main gateway to the capital.
Almost all the officials of La Guaira died in the disaster, said Rodríguez.
Authorities say nearly 800 structures collapsed, including 189 that were destroyed. A preliminary satellite analysis released by NASA and Oregon State University researchers, updated Monday, estimated that about 58,870 buildings were possibly damaged or destroyed.
The United Nations Development Program predicted direct physical damage at $6.7 billion, equivalent to about 6% of gross domestic product, while risk analyst Verisk estimated total economic losses at more than $10 billion.
The government said the quake caused only minor delays at oil storage facilities, while exports appeared to be stable after the disaster. Authorities were also inspecting the state-owned PDVSA Catia La Mar fuel terminal, one of the hardest hit, for damage.
The US has launched one of its largest disaster responses in years, sending four search and rescue teams and more than 900 personnel to Venezuela and about 800 others to the Caribbean territories of Puerto Rico and Curaçao, according to Reuters. The Trump administration also pledged to mobilize $150 million in humanitarian aid.
The crisis has generated support from countries around the world, under the auspices of the UN, including Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Cuba and Switzerland.
Venezuela’s government has dismissed criticism that it reacted too slowly to the devastation caused by the earthquake. Rodriguez said during the press conference that his government issued an emergency declaration to implement public protection and emergency agreements within hours of the earthquake.
