Venezuela Twin Earthquakes Kill at Least 235 People; Rescue Efforts Underway
Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24-25, 2026, killing at least 235 people with thousands injured and many still missing, devastating the nation as rescue teams race against time to pull survivors from collapsed buildings.
Devastating Impact
At least 235 people were killed and 4,300 injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela Wednesday evening, officials said Thursday. The death toll is expected to rise as thousands remain missing. The twin earthquakes occurred in a complex fault system that had most likely been accumulating stress for more than two centuries, experts said.
Missing Persons Crisis
A missing-person website shared by opposition leaders listed 49,500 people as unaccounted for. This suggests casualties could rise significantly as search and rescue operations continue across affected regions.
US Response
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was "immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance." The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 60, authorizing Venezuela earthquake-relief transactions that would otherwise be barred by U.S. sanctions.
Rescue Operations
Three children were among those pulled to safety in a miraculous rescue in La Guaira that aired on state TV. The damage in Venezuela by two powerful earthquakes shocks a nation already dealing with instability. Rescue teams are working in a critical window to locate and extract survivors before structural instability worsens.