Venezuela double earthquake death toll nears 3,000 as international rescue teams wind down search
The official death toll from the June 24 double earthquake in northern Venezuela has risen to 2,954, with more than 16,000 injured and 50,000 still missing, as international rescue teams begin to withdraw.
Casualties mount
The official death toll from the double earthquake that struck northern Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 2,954, according to the Ministry of Communications. Another 16,592 people were injured, and the United Nations estimates that up to 50,000 remain missing. The figures, released on July 4, make this one of the deadliest seismic events in Latin American history.
The quakes
Two tremors, separated by just 39 seconds, devastated the coastal state of La Guaira, 40 kilometers from the capital Caracas. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the main shock at magnitude 7.5, the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900. Entire apartment blocks were flattened, and 856 buildings have been declared damaged. More than 16,000 residents are now homeless, many sheltering in parks with no clear prospects.
Search phase ends
International rescue teams are gradually halting operations as the window for finding survivors closes. The critical 72-hour period after a quake has long passed, though a man was pulled alive from the rubble on Thursday, eight days after the disaster, offering a rare moment of hope. Vietnamese and Mexican brigades have already left, and teams from the United States (including Los Angeles County firefighters and units from Florida and Virginia) are preparing to depart.
We continue to work, to recover bodies, we continue.
Francisco Sasquia, a 38-year-old volunteer rescuer and translator, spoke to AFP outside the Ocean Beach building in the Playa Grande neighborhood, where heavy machinery was still clearing collapsed structures.
We still think we will find people alive, we do not lose hope.
- Two magnitude 7.5 earthquakes strike 39 seconds apart near La Guaira, Venezuela.
- Critical 72-hour survival window closes.
- A man is rescued after eight days under rubble.
- Death toll reaches 2,954; international rescue teams begin withdrawing.
A country in crisis
Venezuela, a nation of nearly 30 million already grappling with economic collapse, now faces a massive humanitarian challenge. The government has not released its own missing-persons count, but the UN's figure of 50,000 underscores the scale of uncertainty. With over 16,000 displaced and hundreds of buildings destroyed, the recovery will be protracted.
