Venezuela earthquake death toll rises as rescuers search rubble

Rescuers in Venezuela kept digging through rubble as the official death toll from the earthquakes climbed to at least 235, with more than 4,300 people injured and entire neighborhoods still waiting to be searched.

The numbers on the ground collided with a far grimmer warning from the U.S. Geological Survey, which said fatalities could reach the thousands and possibly top 10,000. That gap between the government tally and the U.S. estimate made clear that the final scale of the disaster was still far from settled as crews worked block by block through damaged areas.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency, while Caracas shut down its airport, suspended trains and canceled schools for several days after the quake. The heaviest damage hit Caracas and the coastal state of La Guaira, where collapsed buildings and shattered roads left people trapped under concrete and neighbors joined official rescue teams in the search for survivors. In Macuto and other hard-hit areas along the coast, the destruction cut off access just as families were trying to account for the missing.

The disaster is already forcing an international response. The United States pledged to deploy search-and-rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian assistance, and Pope Leo sent an initial €100,000 emergency donation. As the death toll rises and the search continues, the crisis is testing Venezuela’s emergency response system and adding pressure on a region already carrying the burden of displacement, fragile infrastructure and repeated shocks to public health and safety.