Venezuela quake death toll rises to 1,430 as rescue window closes

The death toll from the twin earthquakes in northern Venezuela rose to 1,430 on Saturday, as the 72-hour window for finding survivors was closing. Another 3,238 people were injured, and more than 400 aftershocks had rattled the region since the quakes struck on Wednesday, June 24.

The first temblor measured 7.2, followed seconds later by a 7.5 quake that shook Caracas and the states of La Guaira, Carabobo, Miranda, Yaracuy and Aragua. In damaged neighborhoods and apartment blocks, families kept searching on their own as the shortage of government rescuers left many people waiting for help.

More than 2,000 rescue workers from 27 countries were deployed to Venezuela with UN coordination. OCHA counted 44 international urban search-and-rescue teams, 2,245 specialists and 140 search dogs. U.S. federal search-and-rescue teams were also on the ground, and crews repaired one of the runways at Simón Bolívar airport.

A preliminary UNDP assessment put direct physical damage at about $6.7 billion, or roughly 6% of Venezuela’s gross domestic product, with an estimated range of $4.7 billion to $8.7 billion. The figure covered homes and economic assets, but not infrastructure damage, broader economic disruption or long-term reconstruction costs.

About 8.6 million people were exposed to moderate to severe shaking, including roughly 2.1 million who felt the strongest tremors, and around 1.7 million structures lay in the affected area. Satellite data showed power outages in parts of Carabobo, La Guaira, Caracas and Aragua, adding to the strain on hospitals, shelters and emergency crews.