Deportees among dead as Venezuela quake toll hits 1,719, survivor found after 106 hours

Overview

The twin earthquakes that struck on 24 June, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, have left at least 1,719 people dead, 5,034 injured, and 15,866 displaced, according to the Venezuelan government. The hardest-hit region is the coastal state of La Guaira, where hundreds of buildings collapsed. Doctors report processing around 750 bodies each day, and the United Nations has procured 10,000 body bags in anticipation of a far higher final toll.

“That is the applying assumption; it's very sad.”

Rescue efforts

Despite the 72-hour critical window closing on 27 June, rescues continue. On Monday, workers pulled 21-year-old Aaron Levi Cantillo from the rubble after a 43-hour operation; he had been trapped for 106 hours. A child was also rescued in the Caribe sector late Monday, more than 120 hours after the quakes. Over 2,000 rescuers from 27 countries, along with 160 search dogs, are combing through wreckage. However, risks remain high: Italian firefighters called off a rescue attempt on Tuesday when a strong aftershock shifted a damaged building and no life signs were detected.

“We have to stay strong, even without food, without sleep. Until I see the body, I still have hope.”

Deportees lost in hotel collapse

A chartered repatriation flight carrying over 140 Venezuelan deportees from US immigration detention landed at Maiquetía airport on 24 June, just hours before the earthquakes. The group, including seven children, was taken to the government-run Hotel Santuario La Llanada, which collapsed in the tremors. Relatives say phones and documents were withheld, greatly complicating identification and search efforts. 22-year-old Anderson Daniel Salcedo survived with life-changing injuries. Families have used social media to share missing posters and say only 12 people managed to escape the rubble unaided.

“We express our deepest sorrow and solidarity over the tragic loss of life caused by the recent earthquakes.”

Aftershocks and ongoing danger

More than 600 aftershocks have rattled the region since the initial quakes, including a magnitude 5.1 tremor near La Guaira on 29 June and a magnitude 4.6 shock on Monday that forced the temporary closure of the Caracas metro. No additional damage was reported from those specific events, but the persistent shaking continues to terrify residents and endanger rescue teams.

“Here we are again, back in the street. I don't know when we'll have a moment of true peace.”