CARACAS — Rescuers pulled 33 people alive from the rubble of Venezuela’s twin earthquakes over the weekend, interim President Delcy Rodriguez said, as the confirmed death toll rose above 1,400 and tens of thousands remained unaccounted for. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes struck on Wednesday, June 24, with the coastal state of La Guaira suffering the heaviest damage. Saturday evening marked 72 hours since the quakes hit, the point rescue experts consider the outer limit for finding survivors alive.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that more than 10,000 deaths were possible from the two quakes, a toll that would place the disaster among Latin America’s deadliest in the past century. More than 1,600 foreign rescue workers had arrived in Venezuela by Saturday, joining Venezuelan families and volunteers who had been digging through collapsed buildings since Wednesday using shovels, ropes and bare hands.
The government said more than 3,000 people were injured and a similar number were living in shelters. Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said more than 14,000 members of the military and police were patrolling the disaster zone, where access has been restricted and special permits are now required to enter.
Families and independent digital databases reported nearly 69,000 people missing as of Saturday, though officials cautioned that figure likely includes people who could not be reached due to cellphone outages, along with possible duplicate reports. Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said more than 2,000 rescue units from 21 international organizations were on the ground or en route to Venezuela as of Saturday.
The narrowing survival window has put pressure on international teams working in the rubble. “There exists a window of roughly three days, 72 hours, where the probability afterward decreases that you can save people alive,” said Sebastian Eugster, leader of the 80-member Swiss rescue team, in comments to Reuters on Saturday. He said his team, working with eight search dogs, had located multiple people alive in the rubble but had not been able to extract them in time to save them.
In Caraballeda, one of the hardest-hit towns in La Guaira, Mexican rescuers pulled an 11-year-old boy from a collapsed building late Saturday. Rodriguez posted footage of the rescue on social media platform X. “In these hours, each life is hope for Venezuela,” she said. The government also released video of a young man being carried from the ruins, and of Rodriguez meeting with international rescue teams on the ground.
Rescue crews had initially marked collapsed buildings with spray paint identifying which apartment structure had stood there. By Saturday evening, teams had begun marking debris with codes indicating they believed no living person remained inside, according to Reuters.
Regional and Global Impact
The International Organization for Migration said up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the disaster, with roughly 2 million of them in Caracas alone. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said on X that the EU had mobilized 5 million euros, or about $5.9 million, in emergency assistance, and that its Copernicus satellite system was being used to map damage and direct aid to the worst-affected areas. A senior U.S. official said Saturday that a funding package worth hundreds of millions of dollars was expected to be announced within a day, in addition to $150 million the Trump administration had already pledged. Pope Leo, addressing worshippers at the Angelus prayer in Rome on Sunday, said he wished to express his closeness to those affected in Venezuela and thanked rescue workers.
Background
Rodriguez has served as Venezuela’s interim president since her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro, was removed in a U.S. raid in January. She previously served as vice president under Maduro and has presented herself as an agent of change since taking office. Experts cited by NBC News said the destruction from this week’s earthquakes was amplified by the rapid succession of two shallow quakes striking the same region. Aftershocks, including one measuring magnitude 4.8 on Saturday and another of 4.9 reported separately, have continued to rattle the capital, Caracas, and surrounding areas, complicating rescue work and unnerving residents.
What Happens Next
Eugster said the Swiss rescue team would jointly decide with other international teams and local authorities when to formally end search-and-rescue operations, though his team plans to remain in Venezuela to assist with broader aid efforts. A U.S. official said the additional American funding package is expected to be announced within a day of Saturday’s statement. The Venezuelan government has not set a public timeline for lifting the access restrictions imposed on roads into La Guaira. Authorities said the official death toll and injury figures are expected to continue rising as search teams clear remaining rubble.
