Venezuela earthquake death toll tops 900 as search teams deploy

At least 900 people had died and 3,360 were injured after twin earthquakes struck northern Venezuela, with as many as 50,000 people still missing as rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles were being deployed. The toll had climbed quickly from earlier government figures of about 235 dead and at least 4,300 injured, then 589 dead and 2,980 injured.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the main quake as magnitude 7.5, centered 16 kilometers southwest of Morón and 10 kilometers deep at 22:05:11 UTC on June 24. The State Department put the first shock at about magnitude 7.2, followed roughly 39 seconds later by a larger main event of about magnitude 7.5. Both quakes triggered red PAGER alerts, the USGS signal for events expected to bring high loss of life and widespread damage.

Marco Rubio said on June 25 that he had spoken with acting president Delcy Rodríguez and that U.S. search-and-rescue teams were being sent in. The State Department deployed a regional disaster assistance response team and urban search-and-rescue crews, while Qatar, El Salvador, Chile and other countries had also offered help. Rubio said the airport was badly damaged and that U.S. officials would use overhead imagery to assess coastal damage.

The first priority remained the 48 to 72 hour window for finding survivors, but the needs widened quickly to shelter, communications and logistics. Hospitals, housing, telecom networks and transport links were damaged across coastal and northern areas west of Caracas, making it harder to move supplies and reach isolated communities.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched an emergency appeal to assist 300,000 people and sent the first 17 tonnes of humanitarian cargo. The European Union also deployed emergency assistance. The World Health Organization's 2026 humanitarian response plan targets 5.2 million people.