Venezuela twin earthquakes: Death toll climbs to 235; frantic rescue efforts continue as aid starts flowing in
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Venezuela twin earthquakes: Death toll climbs to 235; frantic rescue efforts continue as aid starts flowing in")
Volunteers search for possible victims in a collapsed building following twin earthquakes in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, some 40 km northeast of Caracas, on June 25, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
The death toll from Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes has climbed to 235, with more than 1,500 people injured, as rescue teams continue searching through rubble and damaged neighbourhoods. The disaster is the country's strongest earthquake in more than a century.
The death toll from the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela has risen to 235, with more than 1,500 people injured, the health ministry said in a statement on Thursday (Jun 25) evening, as rescue teams continue to search through collapsed buildings and damaged neighbourhoods. Officials said at least one Italian citizen and one Portuguese citizen were among the dead.
The back-to-back quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, hit near Venezuela's Caribbean coast on Wednesday (Jun 24), causing widespread destruction, damaging the country's main airport and triggering fears of a much larger humanitarian crisis.
'Catastrophic' situation
Nicole Kast, Venezuela director of the International Rescue Committee, described the situation as "catastrophic", underscoring the scale of the damage on the ground. The 7.5-magnitude earthquake was the strongest quake to hit the country in more than a century. Its scale can be compared to a 7.7-magnitude tremor which struck the nation on October 29, 1900.
The powerful quake has disrupted relief efforts, suggest reports. The airport in La Guaira, one of the main entry points for emergency aid, has been shut after suffering serious damage, complicating the movement of rescue teams and supplies.
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Scenes of panic were also reported in the capital, Caracas, where many residents spent the night sleeping on the streets or inside their cars after repeated tremors rattled the city.
Colombia, Brazil left shaken by quake that devastated Venezuela
The quake, as per reports, was felt beyond Venezuela's borders. In Colombia, people in Bogota evacuated buildings as a precaution, while tremors were also reported in parts of northern Brazil, according to seismic monitoring agencies.
Global community steps up: International aid arrives
The strongest quake to hit Venezuela in 126 years will require "massive collective efforts," said UN aid chief Tom Fletcher, in a statement.
Reports suggest that international assistance has already begun to flow in. Pope Leo XIV has sent an initial 100,000 euros in aid to the disaster-struck nation. Meanwhile, Switzerland, Spain, France, Portugal and Mexico have sent rescue specialists and emergency support, while China, India, Brazil and Iran have also offered assistance.
The United States said it was mobilising 150 million dollars in assistance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was preparing a broad response. "We have a whole-of-government response. It'll be big, it'll be fast, and it'll be effective," Rubio said.
The United Nations has also pledged support. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply saddened" by the disaster.
Venezuela lies on a major tectonic boundary between the Caribbean and South American plates, but the country has not seen a quake of this scale in decades. The last significant disaster of this kind was in 1997, when a 6.9 magnitude quake killed 73 people. Wednesday's quake is the most powerful recorded in the country since 1900.
