Venezuela reels from twin earthquakes as death toll climbs

Venezuela declared a state of emergency after twin earthquakes struck the central-northern region around 6 p.m. on June 24, flattening buildings in Caracas and La Guaira and forcing the closure of the country’s main airport. The first quake was reported at magnitude 7.2, followed by a stronger one at up to 7.5, with more than 20 aftershocks shaking the region afterward.

By June 26, the human toll was still moving upward. Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said more than 4,300 people had been injured and 235 were dead, but authorities later raised the count first to at least 589 dead and 2,980 injured, then to at least 920 dead and 3,360 injured. Hundreds remained trapped beneath rubble or missing, while rescue teams and foreign responders worked through collapsed neighborhoods and damaged roads.

In the hardest-hit zones, an overwhelmed hospital operated without running water, and firefighters used cellphone lights because of a shortage of flashlights. Officials said search-and-rescue operations, emergency medical care and damage assessment were the immediate priorities. Delcy Rodriguez declared the state of emergency after the back-to-back quakes and the wave of aftershocks, while local authorities tried to account for the dead, the injured and those still unaccounted for in Caracas, La Guaira and surrounding communities.

The Pan American Health Organization activated its emergency response mechanisms to support the health response on June 25, and UNHCR scrambled staff and resources to address the destruction and urgent humanitarian needs. India launched Operation Amistad to send an emergency medical team from its 60 Para Field Hospital, and Samaritan’s Purse said it was deploying an emergency field hospital to Venezuela.