CARACAS – Venezuela is battling an unimaginable catastrophe after twin earthquakes ripped through the South American country, killing at least 164 people and injuring 971 others, according to Acting President Delcy Rodríguez. With thousands still unaccounted for, authorities fear the death toll could climb as rescue operations continue around the clock.
7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes, which struck on Wednesday evening, are among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century. The violent tremors were felt across much of the country, reducing buildings to rubble, damaging critical infrastructure and forcing terrified residents onto the streets.
🇻🇪 La Guaira officially declared a disaster zone after catastrophic twin earthquakes in Venezuela
The region is currently the hardest-hit area, with massive infrastructural collapse, total blackouts, and heavily overwhelmed local emergency services.
Videos from the scene:… pic.twitter.com/0WBEYEFSRV
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 25, 2026
The devastation has been particularly severe in La Guaira, where entire neighborhoods have suffered extensive destruction. Rodríguez described the state as a “disaster zone,” saying the high number of collapsed buildings has made rescue efforts especially challenging. In a rare moment of hope, emergency crews pulled three children alive from the debris after hours of frantic searching.
As per reports, more than 11,000 people have been reported missing. The figure comes from reports submitted by families through an online platform created by a political opposition group to help trace missing relatives. Officials warn the actual number could be even higher, as widespread communication outages have left many communities unable to report missing loved ones.
Search-and-rescue teams are racing against time in Caracas and other devastated regions, with thousands feared trapped beneath collapsed structures. United Nations-certified specialist rescue teams are en route to reinforce local emergency responders as hopes of finding more survivors begin to fade.
World leaders urged Venezuelan authorities to immediately ease restrictions on media access, warning that the ability to receive and share information could soon become “a matter of life and death” for affected communities seeking emergency assistance.
International aid efforts are also gathering pace. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said American rescue personnel have already been deployed to support ongoing search-and-rescue operations.
With thousands displaced by the disaster, the Venezuelan government has announced that schools in affected areas will be converted into temporary shelters and emergency relief centres for homeless families.
In parts of the quake-hot country, daily life ground to halt as most businesses remain shuttered, while only food markets, petrol stations and a handful of pharmacies are operating on a limited basis. Residents have been inspecting damaged homes and sleeping outdoors, fearing powerful aftershocks.
Conditions are said to be especially dire in Chacao, one of the areas hardest hit by the twin earthquakes, where widespread structural damage has left entire communities struggling to recover as emergency crews continue their desperate search for survivors.
