Venezuela earthquake rescue winds down as death toll passes 3,300 and 50,000 remain missing

The disaster

On 24 June 2026, a double earthquake struck Venezuela, with the coastal state of La Guaira suffering the most severe damage. The twin tremors levelled buildings, including a 12-storey structure where a 9-year-old boy named Fabio was initially thought to have survived, though rescuers later detected no signs of life. The government declared a seven-day period of national mourning starting on 1 July. The catastrophe is the deadliest to hit the country in more than a hundred years.

Rescue efforts

A massive international response brought 77 search and rescue teams from 31 countries to Venezuela, comprising nearly 3,000 specialists and about 50 search dogs. According to Sebastian Mocarquer of the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team, foreign rescuers saved 14 people from the rubble. The last survivor was Hernan Gil, a shopping centre caretaker in his forties, who endured nearly eight days trapped under concrete before being freed. Earlier in the operation, an 18-day-old infant was pulled alive from a collapsed building after 32 hours.

Most people were rescued in the first hours, in the first days by the community itself. International teams, due to their qualifications and equipment, focus on extracting people who are trapped deep under the rubble.

After the seven-day mark, foreign teams began preparing to withdraw. Around 25 international units remain in the country, mostly assisting local crews with the recovery of bodies, though a few sites are still being checked for possible survivors.

Casualties and missing

The Venezuelan government's latest figures, released on Sunday, put the confirmed death toll at 3,342. Another 16,470 people were injured and 17,345 lost their homes, forcing authorities to open 79 temporary camps. The United Nations estimates that over 50,000 individuals are still missing. Unofficial lists maintained by volunteer organisations suggest the true number of unaccounted-for could be even higher, and experts caution that the final death toll will almost certainly climb.

Government under fire

The official response has faced growing anger. Police and military forces stand accused of hindering rescue work, blocking aid shipments, confiscating donations, and looting valuables from destroyed buildings. Acting President Delcy Rodriguez pushed back, saying security forces were deployed without delay and announcing the formation of a new military unit tasked with handling crises and natural disasters.

Humanitarian needs

With search operations winding down, attention is turning to the survivors. Veronique Durroux, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), confirmed that rescue missions are ending and underscored the scale of the challenge ahead.

The scale of destruction is enormous and we need to see what can be done.

A growing wave of internally displaced people is moving from La Guaira into neighbouring states that were less affected. The UN warns that many thousands of survivors urgently need shelter, food, and medical care as Venezuela confronts the long recovery from its worst natural disaster in over a century.