Thousands Missing After Quakes Devastate Venezuela
A devastating double earthquake sequence struck the northern coast of Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24, leaving at least 589 people dead, 2,980 injured, and thousands more missing as rescue operations continue against the clock. The twin quakes — magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 occurring just 39 seconds apart — were the strongest to hit Venezuela in over a century, according to the US Geological Survey.
The Earthquakes
The first tremor, a magnitude 7.2 quake, struck at 18:04 local time, centered 23 kilometers from San Felipe in Yaracuy state at a depth of 21.9 kilometers. Just 39 seconds later, a second, more powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit 28 kilometers southeast of Yumare, at a depth of only 10 kilometers. The doublet — two main shocks of near-identical magnitude — is a relatively rare seismic phenomenon that amplified the destruction across multiple Venezuelan states.
The USGS PAGER system issued a red alert, estimating a 41% probability of 10,000 to 100,000 fatalities and economic damages between $10 billion and $100 billion — representing 1 to 9 percent of Venezuela’s GDP. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for areas within a 300-kilometer radius, including Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and Puerto Rico, before canceling it approximately 1.5 hours later.
Widespread Destruction
The coastal state of La Guaira suffered the worst damage. According to Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, approximately 70,000 families in La Guaira have been affected. At least 250 buildings have been destroyed or severely damaged, including eight hospitals, the Venezuelan Red Cross headquarters, and the French embassy. Maiquetía International Airport — the country’s main air gateway — was severely damaged and temporarily closed, hampering aid delivery.
A Flemish resident of Caracas, Ludo Gillis, who has lived in the capital for over 40 years, described the terrifying experience to VRT NWS: “Everything was shaking and trembling. We’ve experienced several earthquakes here, but this was the worst. It wasn’t just intense, it lasted a long time. Usually it’s 10 to 15 seconds, this was 50. And those 50 seconds felt like 5 minutes. There was no end to it. Very frightening.”
Gillis added that the coastal areas fared far worse: “On the coast it’s much worse. Many houses, apartment buildings and hotels have been completely razed to the ground.”
The UN estimates that approximately 6.76 million people have been affected across the region, including 2 million in Caracas. UNICEF reported that 3.9 million children are in the affected areas.
A Healthcare System Overwhelmed
Venezuela’s already fragile healthcare system has been pushed to its breaking point. Dr. Franklin Rodriguez, who traveled from Caracas to assist in La Guaira, told BBC Mundo: “We are facing a desperate situation and the hospitals in La Guaira are completely overwhelmed. There is a critical shortage of medicines and medical supplies.”
Pedro Javier Fernandez of Médicos Unidos por Venezuela highlighted the broader context: “The problem is not just that this is a natural tragedy, but we must recognize and remember that Venezuela is in the context of a complex humanitarian emergency. All our hospitals lack supplies, lack medicines; we are not able to provide medical care to our population on a normal day.”
International Response
An unprecedented international aid effort is underway. The European Union has mobilized over 520 rescue workers from eight member states, including the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, and Portugal. The Netherlands sent 65 rescue workers and 8 rescue dogs, while Spain deployed 59 military emergency personnel with 8 dogs and a field hospital.
The United States has also stepped in. President Donald Trump promised immediate assistance, and US Southern Command Major General Kevin Jarrard arrived in Caracas to coordinate the Department of Defense’s support. The US Treasury lifted some sanctions on Venezuela to facilitate disaster response, as BBC Mundo reported.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency and announced the militarization of La Guaira for humanitarian response. The Venezuelan government also lifted restrictions on the social media platform X, which had been blocked since August 2024 under former President Nicolas Maduro, to allow the free flow of information.
The Missing Persons Crisis
While the official death toll stands at 589, the true figure may be far higher. Citizen-run missing persons platforms paint a starkly different picture. The website desaparecidosterremotovenezuela.com reports over 57,000 registered missing persons, with approximately 49,000 still unlocated. Another platform, venezuelatebusca.com, has also been collecting reports. These figures cannot be independently verified but suggest the scale of the disaster may be far greater than official numbers indicate.
Analysis: A Crisis on Top of a Crisis
This disaster strikes a Venezuela already in the grip of a severe economic and humanitarian crisis. The country has faced years of shortages, political instability, and international isolation. Earlier in 2026, President Nicolas Maduro was removed by US forces, with Delcy Rodriguez assuming power. The earthquakes occurred on the holiday commemorating the Battle of Carabobo, adding a bitter irony to the timing.
As BBC Mundo’s analysis notes, “this natural disaster is a devastating blow for a country already mired in uncertainty. Shortages, poor governance, and US sanctions now add to a new crisis — this time natural.”
What’s Next
With 214 aftershocks recorded as of June 26 and rescue operations still in their early stages, the death toll is expected to rise significantly. The closure of the main international airport complicates aid delivery, while the country’s weakened infrastructure — already struggling before the quakes — faces an enormous reconstruction challenge. The rare cooperation between the US and Venezuela during this crisis may signal a potential shift in relations, but for now, the immediate focus remains on finding survivors and providing relief to millions of affected Venezuelans.
As Ludo Gillis put it: “What can you do? We just carry on. The economic situation is not brilliant and then this comes on top of it. What we especially need now are reliable professionals to help rebuild homes.”