Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Jumps to 589 as Global Rescue Effort Intensifies

Caracas — The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela this week has risen to 589, with nearly 3,000 people injured, as international rescue teams joined a widening search for survivors amid extensive destruction across the country, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on Friday.

Rodríguez announced the updated toll while welcoming foreign rescue crews arriving from several countries, saying emergency operations remain focused on locating people trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

“We are going to rescue the people who are trapped. We are working tirelessly on this task,” Rodríguez said, adding that the coastal state of La Guaira had suffered the most severe devastation from the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck on Wednesday evening. She said the area had been placed under military control to facilitate rescue operations and the distribution of food, water and emergency supplies.

The revised casualty figures marked a sharp increase from earlier official estimates as emergency workers gained access to more affected areas. Authorities said thousands of people remain unaccounted for, with rescue efforts continuing around the clock.

The International Organization for Migration estimated that up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the disaster, including about 2 million residents of Caracas. The International Red Cross said many survivors remained afraid to return to damaged homes because of continuing structural risks.

The earthquakes caused widespread destruction across northern Venezuela, flattening residential buildings, damaging critical infrastructure and forcing thousands of residents to spend nights in parks and open spaces. Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas remained closed after sustaining damage, complicating the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Rodríguez said the government had established a $200 million reconstruction fund to repair hospitals, homes and public infrastructure, while urging private companies to provide heavy machinery to support rescue operations.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said approximately 1,000 emergency responders from 25 international search-and-rescue teams were deploying to Venezuela.

The United States said it had mobilized a broad humanitarian response despite logistical challenges caused by the airport closure. Spain dispatched specialist rescue teams equipped with search dogs, rescue cameras and ground-penetrating radar, while Chile, Switzerland and Germany also sent personnel and relief supplies. Turkiye announced the deployment of rescue teams with trained search dogs, and China pledged assistance. Qatar, Brazil, Portugal, Canada, Mexico, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic also offered support or deployed aid teams.

The United States Geological Survey said the earthquakes struck near Morón on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast, about 170 kilometers west of Caracas. Seismologists said the shallow depth and the rapid succession of the two powerful earthquakes significantly amplified the level of destruction across the affected region.

Venezuela lies near the boundary of the South American and Caribbean tectonic plates, although earthquakes of this magnitude are relatively uncommon in the country compared with other parts of Latin America.