Venezuela quake death toll tops 5K, many missing as relief efforts continue

More than three weeks after twin earthquakes devastated parts of Venezuela, the death toll has climbed to 5,069 as rescue efforts give way to humanitarian relief and reconstruction

By Andreina Itriago

   

The official death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has surpassed 5,000, ranking the natural disaster among the deadliest to hit Latin America in recent years. 

 

The latest figures, posted by National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez on his social media accounts, show the number of deaths reached 5,069, with 16,740 injured. More than 6,400 people have been pulled alive from the rubble, according to the authorities.

 

The update comes more than three weeks after twin earthquakes measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck within seconds of each other, leveling buildings, crippling power and water systems, and affecting at least seven Venezuelan states. The worst destruction was concentrated in the Caribbean coastal state of La Guaira.

 

 

Although search-and-rescue operations continue in some areas, including with assistance from international teams, the emergency response has largely entered a new phase centered on humanitarian relief, debris removal and reconstruction.

 

Later on Friday, acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced that Venezuela has drawn an initial $346 million from its own reserves at the International Monetary Fund to help finance recovery and reconstruction. 

 

“My heart is with the people of Venezuela,” IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a post on X.

 

Thousands of displaced people remain sheltered in schools, parks, stadiums and other improvised facilities. Authorities said they expected to hand over the first 200 permanent housing units this week and were identifying sites in La Guaira for the construction of new earthquake-resistant communities to accommodate families who lost their homes.

 

At least 300 of those confirmed dead have yet to be identified, according to official figures provided to the Pan American Health Organisation and other humanitarian organisations. The bodies are being buried in a cemetery in La Guaira after authorities collect DNA samples in the hope of identifying them and returning them to their families.

 

The government has not released an official count of missing people. A parallel tally compiled by the opposition estimates that nearly 30,000 people remain unaccounted for.

 

Shortly after the disaster, the US Geological Survey warned that an earthquake of this magnitude was likely to cause “high casualties and extensive damage,” with a modeled scenario projecting that the death toll could exceed 10,000.