Earthquake in Venezuela: Death toll rises to 1,719, more than half a million missing

International Desk
June 30, 2026.

The death toll from twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening has risen to at least 1,719 people, with another 5,034 injured, Venezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said.

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck just seconds after another magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the coast of Venezuela, destroying buildings and sending residents fleeing into the streets in the capital Caracas and elsewhere. The province of La Guaira was the hardest hit.

Missing and Damaged

The death toll reached 1,719 on Monday afternoon, with thousands still missing, and criticism of the government’s hasty response and limited aid. More than 46,000 people are reported missing, according to a volunteer website, even after a crucial 72-hour deadline for rescue efforts had passed.

Progress of the rescue operation

Amid the despair, there was some hope. A father and son were rescued alive by a team from the United States, France and Venezuela on Sunday morning after being trapped under rubble for four days. In another incident, Aaron Levi Kantio was rescued alive after a 43-hour rescue operation after being trapped for 106 hours.

The scale of international aid has increased dramatically. The UN humanitarian agency said a total of 44 international rescue teams, 2,245 experts and 140 sniffer dogs have been sent to Venezuela, with more arriving from Israel on Monday. The US government has allocated $150 million to help the disaster and is preparing to announce a larger aid package.

Latest situation

The chances of finding survivors are decreasing every hour, and rescue operations are gradually shifting from searching for the missing to recovering bodies. Hundreds of aftershocks have been recorded since the earthquake, hampering rescue efforts, and many people are afraid to return to damaged buildings, spending the night in the streets, parks and makeshift camps.

The disaster has put a huge strain on the government’s relief efforts in a country already grappling with a long-running economic crisis. Rescue workers are still struggling, although there are fears the death toll could rise.