Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 5,119 With 1,350 Aftershocks Recorded
Venezuelan authorities have reported 5,119 deaths and 16,740 injuries from the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck on June 24, with more than 1,350 aftershocks recorded and over 20,000 people displaced as recovery efforts continue amid criticism of the military's delayed response. The Venezuela earthquake caused widespread destruction in coastal areas, particularly La Guaira state.
Casualty Update and Seismic Activity
Official figures list 5,119 confirmed dead, mostly in La Guaira state, and 16,740 injured, with most injuries discharged from hospitals. [4] More than 1,350 aftershocks have occurred since the initial quakes, which devastated high-rise buildings, the main airport area, and a major port in La Guaira. [1] The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes, which struck within a minute of each other on June 24, devastated La Guaira. [4] Authorities report 1,350 replicas since the earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 registered on June 24. [1] The toll has continued to climb as rescue crews clear collapsed buildings and reach areas that were difficult to access in the chaotic days after the disaster. [4] National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said on Friday that 5,119 people have now been confirmed dead, most of them in the coastal state of La Guaira. [4] Another 16,740 people were injured, though Rodriguez said most have since been discharged from hospital. [4]
Human Impact in La Guaira
Approximately 20,000 people remain displaced in overcrowded shelters with limited access to clean water and sanitation. [4] Lille Chantal (3) has not understood why she now lives in a tent camp together with the family. [2] The family of Chantal was not at home when the apartment and everything they owned was crushed. [2] They were in Caracas, in an area that was not hit as hard by the earthquake. [2] Now Chantal (3) peeks out from behind the wheel of a military truck. [2] She walks restlessly around while the family sits and eats donated food. [2] We are alive and we are fine, thank God. But with much sadness in the heart, says friend Maria Guerrero (42), who eats together with them. [2] Dad Pau Rodriguez (25) and mom Maria Ramos (18) are unsure how this will affect the little daughter. [2] They also do not know what to do now or where to live. [2] I do not think she understands much of what is happening. She wonders why we do not have her things and such things. I hope she does not need to remember this, says Pau. [2] Hopes of finding survivors in La Guaira, which was partially reduced to rubble after the earthquake in Venezuela, are gone. [2] But many still dig after their loved ones in the ruins. [2] Death, death everywhere. [2] Together with the search dogs Lucas and Cairo and his own son Patricio (21), he is part of the Mexican civil defense K9 group from Santa Catarina. [2] The dogs have marked 16 times in the ruins. [2] Felipe knows that he has contributed to saving the life of at least one little girl. [2] The family came to us and thanked us afterwards, so I know she survived. [2] In the ruins there are many who are still looking for their loved ones. [2] One of them is Luigi Santiago Goncalves (14). [2] My father is gone. I want to find him, he says to VG. [2] He is named after his father, Luigi Goncalves (35), and also resembles him. [2] Luigi shows us several pictures on the mobile, behind a scratched screen. [2] But for each day that passes, Luigi's hope sinks. [2] It is so many times I have thought that I was going to find him, he says. [2] But every time I go there and do not do it, every time another day passes, then I feel worse. [2] Julimar (24) is a medical student. [2] Now she works as a volunteer at one of the aid centers where families who have lost their homes can come and get food and medicine. [2] Of course, we appreciate life and those we have managed to save, she says. [2] But imagine how difficult it is to start from zero here. [2] When VG meets her, she stands together with colleague Valeria (22), who is looking for answers. [2] Her aunt lies buried in the ruins and is still not found. [2] They are both from La Guaira, but do not live in any of the houses that collapsed. [2] They believe it will take several years before this is a normal place to live again. [2] Now they do not know what to do going forward. [2] One can say that the material does not mean anything, but for us Venezuelans it has cost us triple to work for what we have today, compared to people in other countries. [2] And then so many have lost absolutely everything. [2] Through the days VG has spent by the ruins in La Guaira, we have several times seen Veronica Romero (42) walk alone back and forth in one of the areas with the very greatest destruction and talk to people. [2] She is there early in the morning, and when it darkens in the evening. [2] We are infinitely grateful to her. She has provided helmets, mittens, machines, says Ronald Castillo (41) who is looking for the bodies of his sister and niece in the ruins. [2] He has dug both with his hands and the tools he has managed to get hold of, as many others have done. [2] There has been limited access to proper tools and machines, which has led to rage among many. [2] But what they have received here, it is Veronica who has helped with, according to Ronald. [2] They say what they need, and I make sure the wishes are passed on and up to the minister, she says to VG. [2] Veronica says she volunteered and went to La Guaira from the first day after the earthquake, and will stay until the very end. [2] We continue to retrieve people. And if we do not find them alive, we will give the family the bodies so they can bury them. [2]
Rescue workers search rubble in La Guaira state after deadly Venezuela earthquakes. — Source: vg
Government and Military Response
The military response in the first days was slowed by delayed orders from senior commanders, lack of basic equipment, confusion from overlapping command chains, and public outrage over the pace of aid. [3] Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who is backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, has defended the government’s response amid criticism that military personnel and other officials arrived late and have done little to help victims of the quake, including people who were trapped in the rubble. [3] Rodriguez has repeatedly rejected accusations that authorities were slow to act, dismissing claims of chaos as a narrative manufactured by media laboratories and insisting the government responded swiftly. [4] New details uncovered by the news agency Reuters have added to those questions. [4] In an investigation published on Saturday, the news agency found the crucial first days of the rescue effort were hampered by delayed military deployment orders, shortages of basic rescue equipment and confusion caused by overlapping chains of command, according to military and diplomatic sources. [4] Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said in a post on X that 5,060 people have been confirmed dead following the twin earthquakes that struck the country on June 24. [5] He said another 16,740 people were injured, according to the latest official figures. [5] Rodríguez said the government has provided humanitarian assistance to 128,342 affected families through emergency relief programmes that include temporary shelter, food, medical care and other essential support for communities devastated by the disaster. [5]
International Financial Support
The IMF has released $346 million in emergency financing from Venezuela's reserve tranche for urgent humanitarian needs following the restoration of relations with international institutions. [4] Interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced on Friday that Venezuela had secured $346m in emergency financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). [4] IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva confirmed the money was being released from Venezuela’s reserve tranche at the fund to meet urgent humanitarian needs. [4] It was only in April that the IMF and World Bank restored relations with Venezuela, following the United States forcibly removing former President Nicolas Maduro from power in January. [4] The institutions had suspended ties with the country in 2019 after refusing to recognise Maduro’s government. [4]
Venezuelan military faces criticism over delayed response to deadly earthquakes in La Guaira state. — Source: japantimes
Ongoing Recovery Challenges
Approximately 20,000 people remain displaced, many living in overcrowded shelters without reliable access to clean water or sanitation. [4] The disaster was especially devastating in La Guaira state, home to the country’s main airport, a major port and hundreds of high-rise residential buildings that collapsed either fully or partially. [3] The twin earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, triggered widespread destruction across several regions of Venezuela, damaging homes, hospitals, schools, roads and other critical infrastructure. [5] Rescue teams and emergency workers have continued clearing debris, restoring public services and assisting displaced residents. [5] The disaster has placed additional pressure on Venezuela’s already strained public services and humanitarian response capacity. [5] Authorities have continued assessing structural damage while coordinating relief operations in affected communities. [5] International humanitarian organizations have also monitored the situation closely, with aid agencies warning that prolonged displacement, damaged infrastructure and disrupted access to healthcare could increase humanitarian needs in the weeks ahead. [5] Officials have continued appealing for support to accelerate recovery and reconstruction efforts. [5] The updated casualty figures make the earthquakes among the deadliest natural disasters to strike Venezuela in recent decades. [5] Recovery operations remain ongoing as authorities work to restore essential services, rebuild damaged infrastructure and assist thousands of families still displaced by the disaster. [5]
Humanitarian Assistance Scale
Rodríguez said the government has provided humanitarian assistance to 128,342 affected families through emergency relief programmes that include temporary shelter, food, medical care and other essential support for communities devastated by the disaster. [5] Despite those efforts, officials said nearly 18,000 people remain homeless, underscoring the scale of the humanitarian challenge facing authorities as reconstruction work continues in the country’s hardest-hit areas. [5] The Sistema de las Naciones Unidas y sus organizaciones socias continúan ampliando la respuesta. [1]
What to watch next: The toll has continued to climb as rescue crews clear collapsed buildings and reach areas that were difficult to access in the chaotic days after the disaster, with authorities continuing to assess structural damage while coordinating relief operations in affected communities.
