Venezuela quake death toll climbs as U.S. aid expectations rise

The death toll from Venezuela’s twin earthquakes kept climbing as rescue crews worked through collapsed buildings in Caracas, La Guaira and Aragua, with casualty counts rising from an initial 32 dead and 700 injured to at least 188 dead and 1,520 injured, and in some tallies more than 235 dead and 4,300 injured. Dozens of buildings fell, hundreds of people were trapped under rubble, and thousands were left homeless or missing.

The quakes struck off the northern coast west of Caracas on June 24, 2026, the first at about magnitude 7.2 and the second about 39 seconds later at roughly magnitude 7.5. The U.S. Geological Survey issued red PAGER alerts for both events, a warning that signaled high expected casualties and extensive damage. Preliminary USGS estimates put potential economic losses at between 1 percent and 7 percent of Venezuela’s GDP, which was about $111 billion, leaving as much as $7.7 billion at risk in the worst case.

Venezuela was already strained by political turmoil and a fragile economy. Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim president, said a $200 million IMF-linked reconstruction fund would help rebuild damaged infrastructure, hospitals and housing.

Washington moved quickly. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was mounting an immediate response, deploying a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team and urban search-and-rescue units while coordinating with United Nations agencies, non-governmental groups and other governments. The State Department is mobilizing about $150 million in aid, including new funding for partners such as the World Food Programme and International Medical Corps, along with support for a U.N. pooled fund.

Aid and rescue teams were also arriving from the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Spain and Switzerland. The United Nations mobilized 25 international teams, totaling about 1,000 personnel.