Death toll rises in Venezuela quakes as rescuers battle rubble and aftershocks

The death toll from Venezuela’s twin earthquakes has risen to 2,645, with 12,666 injured and more than 890 aftershocks recorded as rescue efforts intensify in the devastated northern regions. The interim government’s latest official count, confirmed on Friday, underscores the escalating humanitarian crisis three days after the quakes struck on 24 June, leaving entire towns reduced to rubble and tens of thousands feared missing.

Rescuers in La Guaira and Caraballeda are engaged in a desperate race against time, with emergency teams from 31 countries—including Turkey, which deployed 75 personnel, five vehicles, and six rescue dogs—continuing round-the-clock operations. The United Nations estimates that up to 50,000 people may still be missing, a figure that dwarfs the official death toll and signals the likelihood of further grim discoveries.

Among the most harrowing recent developments, the body of nine-year-old Fabio, who had survived nine days trapped under six metres of concrete in Caraballeda’s collapsed Tahiti building, was recovered on Friday. Meanwhile, Gustavo Romero Matamoros, chief of police in La Guaira, remains trapped in the rubble of a condominium in Catia La Mar, communicating with rescuers via Morse code despite a crushed hand.

International aid has poured in, with Spain confirming 32 Spanish nationals dead, 142 missing, and 11 still trapped under debris. Portugal has recorded 89 fatalities and 60 missing, while Hungary announced a €2 million aid package delivered through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Survivors, many of whom have taken refuge in tents pitched in public parks, describe scenes reminiscent of a war zone. Anguished families are being directed to makeshift morgues to identify victims, as the scale of the disaster overwhelms local capacity.

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has thanked the international community for its support, though criticism of the government’s crisis response is growing, with opposition leader María Corina Machado accusing authorities of prioritising repression over relief efforts.