•••More than 16,500 injured as thousands remain homeless and rescue teams continue searching through the rubble
The death toll from Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes has climbed to 2,954, as rescue teams continue searching through the rubble of collapsed buildings more than a week after the disaster struck.
Updated official figures released on Saturday showed that 16,592 people have been injured, while 16,309 residents have been left homeless, making the twin earthquakes one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit Latin America in recent years.
The powerful 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, which struck on June 24, caused widespread destruction across northern Venezuela, flattening residential buildings, damaging critical infrastructure and leaving entire communities in ruins.
The coastal state of La Guaira, just north of the capital, Caracas, suffered the worst devastation, with at least 190 buildings collapsing and hundreds of others sustaining severe structural damage.
Emergency officials said thousands of rescue workers remain on the ground despite fading hopes of finding more survivors.
Nearly 30,000 government personnel, supported by more than 3,200 international rescue workers, have been deployed for search-and-rescue operations, medical assistance and relief distribution.
Authorities also disclosed that 22,445 people have received medical treatment since the disaster, while temporary shelters have been established to accommodate thousands of displaced families who lost their homes.
Although rescue operations are still ongoing, officials acknowledged that the chances of finding survivors continue to diminish as more time passes. Families have continued to gather around collapsed buildings, hoping for news of missing relatives while recovery crews work tirelessly to clear debris.
The government has urged citizens to report missing persons through dedicated emergency platforms and has promised sustained humanitarian support for affected communities.
Relief efforts are now increasingly focused on providing shelter, food, healthcare and restoring essential services as survivors begin the difficult task of rebuilding their lives.
The twin earthquakes are considered the deadliest to strike Venezuela in over a century, leaving a trail of destruction across several northern states and posing a major challenge to the country’s emergency response and reconstruction efforts.
