Venezuela Quake Toll Hits 1,943; Toddler Rescued 6 Days

The confirmed death toll from the catastrophic twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on 24 June has risen to 1,943, with more than 10,500 injured and tens of thousands still missing, according to authorities. In a rare moment of hope amid the devastation, a 3-year-old boy was pulled alive from the rubble six days after the quakes, rescued by a Jordanian civil defence team in the hard-hit La Guaira state.

The Earthquakes

On the evening of 24 June, two powerful earthquakes struck within 39 seconds of each other. The United States Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 7.2 foreshock at 18:04 local time, followed by a magnitude 7.5 mainshock at 18:05. The epicenters were located in the Veroes municipality of Yaracuy state, along the San Sebastián fault system — a major strike-slip fault zone that accommodates the slow grinding motion between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates. The earthquakes lasted approximately 90 to 120 seconds, making them the strongest seismic event in Venezuela since the 1900 San Narciso earthquake.

According to Wikipedia, more than 130 aftershocks have been recorded, with shaking felt as far away as Bogotá, northern Brazil, and the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao, and Puerto Rico. The USGS PAGER system had initially warned that the death toll could potentially exceed 100,000, reflecting the severity of the seismic event.

The earthquake struck on 24 June, a national holiday commemorating the 1821 Battle of Carabobo, meaning many Venezuelans were at home rather than at work when the ground began to shake. This timing likely contributed to the high number of casualties, as residential buildings bore the brunt of the destruction.

Casualties and Damage

Jorge Rodríguez, President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, announced on 30 June that the death toll had reached 1,943, with 10,571 injured and 28,380 people receiving care in hospitals and field hospitals. Health Minister Carlos Alvarado clarified that these figures reflect casualties recorded at medical facilities.

A government tracking website lists more than 43,000 people as missing, while the United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Tom Fletcher, has estimated that over 50,000 people remain unaccounted for. The BBC reported that the New York Times has described the official death toll as a potential “substantial undercount,” with experts warning the true number may never be known due to Venezuela’s strained infrastructure and limited media access in remote areas.

Structural damage has been extensive. The Venezuelan government reports 855 buildings damaged, of which 189 completely collapsed. However, a NASA satellite assessment cited by the BBC estimates that 58,870 buildings have been damaged or destroyed. The United Nations Development Programme has estimated direct physical damage at US$4.7 to 8.7 billion, roughly 6 percent of Venezuela’s GDP, with the true cost potentially 1.5 to 3 times higher.

A Miracle Rescue

On 30 June, six days after the earthquakes, a Jordanian rescue team pulled 3-year-old Klieber Morán alive from the rubble of the Los Corales Garden 1 building in La Guaira state. Video footage showed rescuers cheering as the child was extracted. According to The Guardian, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez described the rescue as “a moment of hope.” The boy received first aid, was hospitalized in Caracas, and his vital signs were reported as good.

“We must hold on to the hope of continuing to find people alive beneath the rubble,” Jorge Rodríguez said in a televised address.

International Rescue Effort

The international response has been substantial. According to Euronews, 3,681 rescue workers from 30 countries are now on the ground, supported by 148 search dogs and 49 support vehicles. More than 6,450 people have been found alive, with a further 13,500 able to escape by themselves. Over 700,000 tons of humanitarian aid have been received, according to Xinhua News.

Rescue teams from the United States, Mexico, Jordan, Costa Rica, and multiple European nations — including London firefighters — have joined local crews in the search. The international community has provided over 1,000 tons of supplies, including a 47-tonne UN shipment carrying emergency health kits, supplies for safe births, newborn care, and disease prevention. The UNHCR has requested an initial $15 million to scale up protection, core relief items, and temporary shelter support for 30,000 earthquake-affected people over six months.

Among the dead are citizens from at least 12 countries, including 8 Chinese nationals, 68 Portuguese (59 of whom held Venezuelan citizenship), 24 Colombians, 18 Spanish, 6 Argentines, 3 Americans, and 3 Chileans, according to reports from multiple governments.

Humanitarian Crisis Unfolds

As rescue operations continue well past the 72-hour “golden window” for finding survivors, a severe humanitarian crisis is developing. UNICEF has estimated that approximately 1.8 million people, including 680,000 children, require humanitarian assistance.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has warned that food shortages are widespread, basic services have broken down, and communications have been largely severed in La Guaira. “Community tensions are rising as access to assistance remains constrained,” the UNHCR stated. An 18-year-old vendor in La Guaira, Daniela Armas, told AFP that while some supplies are being distributed, “sometimes people nearly kill each other for food… it’s like a cockfight.”

The World Health Organization has warned that health services are under “extreme pressure” and there is an increased risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and diphtheria due to low vaccination coverage. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier specifically highlighted these concerns, noting that Venezuela’s already strained healthcare infrastructure is struggling to cope with the additional burden.

A makeshift morgue has been set up at La Guaira’s port to handle the influx of bodies. Families continue to search for missing loved ones, with many waiting for news in increasingly desperate conditions.

What Comes Next

The disaster has struck a nation already grappling with a severe economic and political crisis. With reconstruction costs estimated at $4.7 to 8.7 billion — roughly 6 percent of Venezuela’s GDP — and over 15,800 people displaced, the road to recovery will be long and difficult. Experts warn that the true economic cost could be 1.5 to 3 times the initial estimate when factoring in infrastructure loss, long-term economic disruption, and reconstruction.

As search teams continue to dig through the rubble and families wait for news of missing loved ones, the full scale of the tragedy remains unknown. At the makeshift morgue at La Guaira’s port, Wilker Molalla told AFP he was waiting to identify the remains of his sister, her children, and the children of his brother. “There were 11 people in my household,” he said. “Only two of us survived because we were at work.”

The earthquakes have laid bare the vulnerability of northern Venezuela’s infrastructure to seismic events along the San Sebastián fault system, raising urgent questions about building codes, disaster preparedness, and the nation’s capacity to recover from a catastrophe of this magnitude. The international community faces a long-term commitment to supporting Venezuela’s recovery, even as the immediate search for survivors continues.