Venezuela twin quakes kill 1,943, injure 10,000; UN procures body bags as state services collapse
A week after twin 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck Venezuela, 1,943 are dead, 10,000 injured, and 15,000 displaced, with state services overwhelmed and looting reported at aid sites.
Destruction and casualties
On June 24, 2026, magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck Venezuela, devastating coastal regions. The government reports 1,943 dead, 10,500 injured, and 15,000 displaced. Satellite images show an estimated 58,870 buildings damaged.
- Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 hit Venezuela, devastating La Guaira and Caracas.
- Government reports 1,943 dead, 10,000+ injured, 15,000 displaced; a three-year-old child rescued by Jordanian team.
- UN procures 10,000 body bags; aid distribution sites strained; reports of military looting emerge.
In La Guaira, the hardest-hit province, a makeshift morgue has been set up beneath grain silos. The UN is procuring 10,000 body bags as basic services collapse.
Basic services have broken down.
Government and military response criticized
The interim government of Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency and placed La Guaira under military control. But residents and foreign rescue teams report looting and staged rescue efforts for propaganda.
Mexican rescuer Héctor Méndez says a state media reporter asked him to thank the president, which he refused.At first, everything was fine, but then the bad organization started: first the soldiers themselves helped themselves and then you were left with what remained.
Look, honey, let me tell you something: I’m 80 years old and you’re not going to tell me what to say, you’re nobody’s boss.
Deportees among the missing
Among the missing are over 100 Venezuelans deported from the US hours before the quake. Their hotel in La Guaira collapsed. Alicia Mendoza has searched for her son, one of the deportees, but authorities showed her a misidentified body.
I don’t understand all this chaos or why they can’t treat people with dignity.
International aid and solidarity
International teams from over 50 countries have arrived, but access remains difficult. Luis Arteaga Benatuil of Spanish rescue group USAR 13 says,
In the absence of an effective state response, foreign rescuers and local volunteers are the primary providers of aid.We arrive late, very late, but our goal remains to save lives.
Health system overwhelmed
The World Health Organization warns of “chaotic service delivery,” “overcrowding,” and a “breakdown in biosafety measures.” Hospitals face growing surgical backlogs, while food shortages are widespread in affected areas.
