Venezuela Earthquake Rescue
Rescue Efforts Continue in Venezuela Today Following Yesterday's Double Earthquake
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A powerful double earthquake struck Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24, killing at least 235 people and injuring more than 4,300. The twin quakes — magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 — struck just 39 seconds apart near San Felipe in Yaracuy state, making it the strongest seismic event the country has seen in 125 years, according to ReliefWeb.
Search and rescue teams are still working through the rubble this Friday, June 26. Over 30 aftershocks have rattled the region since the initial strike, keeping the risk of further collapses dangerously high, UNICEF reported. At least 250 buildings have fully collapsed, and 2,227 families have been left homeless, according to El País.
A 39-Second Disaster That Shook All of Venezuela
The first quake, a 7.2-magnitude tremor, hit at 6:04 p.m. local time with its epicenter 23 km from San Felipe, at a depth of 20 km. Thirty-nine seconds later, a 7.5-magnitude quake — the main event — struck near Yumare and Morón at just 10 km deep, according to Wikipedia. Experts call this a "doublet earthquake," an unusual event where two large quakes hit the same fault within seconds of each other, The New York Times reported.
The shallow depth of the second quake multiplied its destruction. Shockwaves were felt as far as the Brazilian Amazon, some 1,700 km away, Euronews reported. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency by 7:30 p.m. and designated La Guaira a disaster zone. She said: "The state of La Guaira is a true tragedy... we are declaring the state of emergency as our Constitution provides," according to RTVE.
Rescuers Race the Clock Amid Crumbling Infrastructure
Rescue efforts are focused on hard-hit areas like El Junquito and La Guaira. Colombia has sent a certified USAR urban search-and-rescue team, four INSARAG-certified rescue dogs, and 12 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, according to Cubadebate. Mexico and Spain have also dispatched aid teams. At least eight hospitals have been evacuated due to structural damage, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado confirmed.
Venezuela's long economic crisis is making the rescue harder. Emergency services were already short on equipment before the quake. Some residents have accused rescue teams of standing idle due to a lack of heavy machinery, Euronews reported. The international airport in Maiquetía remains closed due to damage. Aid flights are being rerouted to secondary runways or relying on helicopters, according to ReliefWeb.
US Pledges $150 Million, Deploys Warships to Aid Effort
The United States approved $150 million in aid — $50 million in bilateral agreements and $100 million through a UN emergency fund. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: "We have a whole-of-government response. It will be broad, fast and effective," according to Vistazo. The Trump administration also deployed US Southern Command ships and helicopters to support logistics, a rare show of direct cooperation with Venezuela's government.
UN Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher is coordinating the international response. He said: "International solidarity is arriving. We will need everyone to collaborate." The UN's human rights mission has also urged Venezuela's media regulator CONATEL to unblock social media platforms. The mission warned that "access to information is a matter of life and death," ReliefWeb reported.
Death Toll Disputed as Thousands Sleep in the Streets
The official death count stands at 235, but some sources put the number as high as 589, according to Cubadebate. More than 4,300 people have been treated for injuries in the public health system. Thousands more are sleeping outside, too afraid to go back into their homes as aftershocks continue. Power and phone networks are down across large parts of Caracas, Cadena SER reported.
Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado called for national unity. She said: "My heart, my infinite embrace and my prayers are with every Venezuelan home." UNICEF has warned that the disaster is worsening already severe child nutrition and protection needs across the country, UNICEF reported. The full scale of the damage is still not known, as rescue teams continue to reach isolated communities.
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