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By Open Chronicle with agencies
CARACAS, Venezuela, June 26, 2026, Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis deepened on Friday after officials confirmed that the death toll from two powerful earthquakes had climbed to 589, while 2,980 people have been injured as rescue teams race against time to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced the updated figures while welcoming international rescue teams arriving from around the world. Surrounded by government officials and military commanders, she pledged that search operations would continue without interruption.
“We are going to rescue the people who are trapped,” Rodríguez said. “We are working tirelessly on this task.”
La Guaira suffers catastrophic destruction
The coastal state of La Guaira, located north of Caracas, has emerged as the epicenter of the disaster following the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck on Wednesday evening.
Authorities have militarized the region to facilitate rescue operations, secure damaged infrastructure, and distribute emergency food and water supplies.
La Guaira’s airport, Venezuela’s principal international gateway, remains closed after suffering structural damage, complicating the arrival of humanitarian aid and rescue equipment.
Across the devastated coastal communities, apartment buildings collapsed into piles of concrete while roads cracked open and essential services were disrupted.
Thousands remain missing as families search for loved ones
Scenes of heartbreak unfolded across Caracas and La Guaira as families desperately searched for missing relatives.
Residents posted photographs of loved ones on damaged buildings and distributed handwritten lists of missing people while telephone outages made communication increasingly difficult.
Many survivors spent the night in parks, parking lots, and open spaces, fearing further aftershocks.
One mother, Dayana Delgado, pleaded for authorities to bring heavy machinery promised for rescue efforts as volunteers continued digging through collapsed buildings with their bare hands.
“I want to know where my child is, if he’s trapped or in a shelter,” she said while searching for her missing eight-year-old son.
Elsewhere, grieving parents watched rescue workers recover the bodies of young children, while others waited silently outside destroyed apartment blocks, hoping for signs of life.
Stories of survival offer hope
Despite the immense destruction, rescuers continue to report remarkable survival stories.
State television broadcast dramatic footage of emergency crews pulling a woman alive from beneath a collapsed concrete slab after only one of her feet remained visible.
A young man named Leandro was rescued from a collapsed building in Caracas to applause from bystanders as his emotional mother embraced rescuers.
Another widely shared rescue showed a young girl emerging from the ruins of a collapsed ten-story building in La Guaira, covered in dust but alive.
Caracas Metropolitan Rescue chief José Luis Núñez praised her resilience.
“We want to highlight this girl’s strength, determination, and will to live,” he said.
Millions may be affected
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that as many as 6.76 million people could be affected by the disaster, including nearly two million residents in Caracas.
The International Federation of the Red Cross warned that thousands remain too frightened to return to damaged homes amid fears of additional structural collapses.
Emergency needs include:
- Urban search and rescue operations.
- Temporary shelter for displaced families.
- Emergency medical treatment.
- Clean drinking water.
- Food distribution.
- Psychological support for survivors.
International aid pours into Venezuela
The international response has expanded rapidly.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), approximately 1,000 emergency responders organized into 25 international search and rescue teams are deploying across Venezuela.
The United States announced an immediate humanitarian response after Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke directly with Acting President Rodríguez.
Spain has already deployed specialist rescue teams equipped with search dogs, cameras, and ground-penetrating radar.
Additional rescue missions have arrived or are en route from Germany, Turkey, Chile, Switzerland, Mexico, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic.
China also announced humanitarian assistance, while Brazil, Portugal, Qatar, and Canada pledged additional support.
“No country is prepared to provide the response that’s needed. That’s what neighboring countries are there for,” said Dominican Air Force Major Carlos Olivares.
Twin earthquakes amplified the devastation
The U.S. Geological Survey said both earthquakes originated near Morón, approximately 170 kilometers west of Caracas, close to the boundary between the South American and Caribbean tectonic plates.
Brazilian geophysicist Marcos Ferreira explained that the shallow depth of both earthquakes dramatically increased their destructive force.
“It is as if I am screaming and then someone starts screaming too,” he said. “That amplifies the vibration and adds to the potential hazard.”
Scientists say the rare sequence of two major earthquakes striking within a short period significantly worsened structural failures across the affected region.
Government launches reconstruction effort
Rodríguez has declared a nationwide state of emergency and announced the creation of a $200 million reconstruction fund to rebuild hospitals, homes and public infrastructure.
She also appealed to private construction companies to provide heavy machinery to assist rescue operations.
“We hope to rescue as many living people as possible,” she said.
As rescue crews continue working around the clock, authorities warn that the number of casualties is expected to rise as access improves to heavily damaged neighborhoods where many people remain unaccounted for.