Venezuela earthquake death toll reaches 1,430 as Czech USAR team arrives and builds base camp

The scale of destruction

Two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck near the town of Morón on the evening of June 24, triggering the deadliest seismic disaster in Venezuela in over a hundred years. The provisional death toll rose from 920 on Friday to at least 1,430 people by Saturday, with 3,238 injured and 3,142 left homeless. Residents have reported 68,900 people as missing, according to the Associated Press. The United Nations Development Programme estimated material damage at $6.7 billion, equivalent to six percent of the country's gross domestic product, while the International Organization for Migration warned that the quake could affect 6.76 million people, including two million in the capital Caracas.

On the ground in La Guaira

The coastal state of La Guaira, a popular beach destination, suffered the most severe damage. More than 1,400 buildings collapsed or were left structurally compromised, and the military took control of the area, restricting access. Andreina Valerio rushed from work to search for her nearly two-year-old son Santiago, who had been with her partner Ramsés Mendoza at her in-laws' house. When she arrived, the building was in ruins and her brother-in-law was digging through the rubble. Six family members and two other children remained trapped inside.

“I still believe my son is alive. I believe it's my son. And I know my son can make it, just like his family.”

In the early hours after the quake, Samuel Mendoza heard a woman's voice crying for help, but rescue teams from El Salvador and Spain were unable to enter the collapsed structure immediately.

International rescue operation

By Sunday morning, 24 countries had deployed at least 2,741 rescuers, 86 dog teams and delivered 521 tons of humanitarian aid, interim President Delcy Rodríguez announced. Coordination between local authorities and international urban search-and-rescue teams is being managed by the United Nations together with the Venezuelan government, with the affected zone mapped and divided into sectors. US rescue teams, working alongside Venezuelan firefighters, pulled a small child from the rubble, and the State Department posted a video of the operation on X.

“Every saved life is a victory.”

Salvadoran teams freed a young girl and her dog, with President Nayib Bukele sharing footage of the rescued child waving to the crowd while wrapped in Venezuelan and Salvadoran flags.

Czech USAR team deployment

The Czech Republic was among the first countries to offer assistance, and a 70-member USAR team with eight trained dogs departed Prague on Saturday afternoon. After a stopover on Curaçao, the team landed in Venezuela at 02:40 CEST on Sunday and immediately began setting up an operational base camp. However, 19 members had to remain on Curaçao due to capacity constraints and are waiting for onward flights.

“Based on footage from the disaster site, it is likely that people are still alive in some buildings and our team will try to help them.”

Czech firefighters expect to join search operations around 07:00 local time, or 13:00 CEST.

Frustration with government response

Despite the influx of international aid, residents have confronted interim President Rodríguez during a visit to a devastated Caracas neighborhood, accusing the government of a slow and inadequate response. Humanitarian organisations consider the first 48 to 72 hours after an earthquake the critical window for finding survivors, yet many affected areas still lack heavy machinery and official rescue teams, according to Al Jazeera and BBC reports. The military's takeover of La Guaira has further complicated access for relatives and volunteers searching for the missing.