Venezuela earthquake death toll rises to 5,398 as search efforts continue

The disaster occurred on June 24, when back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude flattened hundreds of structures. The death toll has mounted to 5,398, according to the latest data released by officials on Wednesday (July 22). The destruction hit the northern coastal state of La Guaira particularly hard. Seismologists have logged 1,405 aftershocks in the month following the initial disaster. While families and rescue workers continue searching through piles of rubble for missing loved ones, the exact scope of casualties remains uncertain. The government in Caracas has not released an official count for missing persons, though several national and international organisations estimate that thousands may still be unaccounted for beneath collapsed debris.

Four weeks after the initial disaster, state priorities are transitioning toward housing and recovery for an estimated 23,000 citizens left homeless by the destruction. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez vowed this week to deliver 4,000 new homes by the end of the year to accommodate displaced families. She also set a new target of constructing 10,000 homes for earthquake victims by 2027.

To support the massive reconstruction effort, the International Monetary Fund has released approximately $346 million drawn from Venezuela’s existing reserves. Concurrently, Venezuela's unicameral National Assembly passed legislative reforms aimed at streamlining regulations and accelerating the construction of new residential housing developments in hard-hit areas.

A day after the devastating earthquake, Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, said she spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio by phone on June 25. The telephonic exchange took place after her nation was struck by two quakes that have claimed at least 32 lives. She took to her X account to write, “I spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who expressed his solidarity and support for the Venezuelan people during these difficult times for our nation.”