At least 1,430 people were killed after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on 24 June 2026, according to Venezuelan National Assembly president Jorge Rodriguez. Thousands of rescuers, relatives, and volunteers are digging day and night through mounds of concrete to find survivors. Authorities have restricted access to some disaster zones and deployed the military as relief efforts continue.
Rescue Efforts Underway
Rescuers from various countries, including members of the French Civil Security Training and Intervention Regiment (UIISC 7) and the Salvadoran Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) squad, are assisting in the search. In Caraballeda, La Guaira state, firefighters and volunteers search for possible victims on top of a collapsed building. Meredith Poole, of Gideon Rescue Company, was seen petting a rescue dog while taking part in rescue efforts in the Tanaguarena neighborhood.
Family members and neighbours of Jhonquer Cerpas, 13, reacted emotionally during his rescue in La Guaira. A man was also rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in the same area. Volunteers sort out aid for affected people, and a web page created to find missing people has registered almost 50,000 names.
Impact of the Earthquakes
According to the US Geological Survey, the main earthquake was a magnitude 7.2, followed by a 7.5-magnitude aftershock less than a minute later. Buildings and vehicles were destroyed in Catia La Mar, La Guaira, and other areas. A woman sits in the rubble next to her home destroyed by the earthquakes in La Guaira. Another woman, Maria Esther Bernal, was inside her house partially damaged in Catia La Mar.
Bodies of earthquake victims were placed at the Port of La Guaira as people attempted to identify their relatives. A woman wears a T-shirt reading 'Help me find my family' as emergency vehicles and rescuers operate near collapsed buildings in Caraballeda.
International Response and Vigils
People attended a vigil in tribute to victims outside Valencia Cathedral in Valencia, Spain. Cards with names of missing people were placed on a crucifix during the vigil. Military personnel control access to La Guaira state as heavy machinery is deployed to clear debris. Volunteers wait to be called to work in search operations at the site of a collapsed building in the San Bernardino neighbourhood in Caracas.
