The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela has climbed to 589, with 2,980 people injured, authorities confirmed early Friday, around 34 hours after the disaster.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced the latest official figures during an emergency deployment in the heavily affected coastal state of La Guaira at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time (June 26). She also reaffirmed the government’s decision to declare La Guaira a “natural disaster area” after widespread destruction left entire neighborhoods in ruins.
Venezuela had declared a nationwide state of emergency after two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes, struck within seconds of each other on Wednesday evening, triggering widespread devastation across several regions.
Officials reported that 214 aftershocks have been recorded since the twin earthquakes struck, raising concerns over further structural damage and complicating rescue efforts.
The emergency meeting was attended by National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, Sectoral Vice President for Politics, Citizen Security and Peace Diosdado Cabello, senior officials from the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), the governor of La Guaira, the mayor of Vargas, cabinet ministers and emergency response authorities. Officials emphasized the implementation of urgent security and infrastructure measures as rescue operations intensified.
Authorities said the clearing of major roads has now enabled heavy machinery and specialized search-and-rescue teams to reach the worst-hit areas, where crews continue searching for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
Rodríguez also announced a series of economic relief measures. The Ministries of Commerce and Youth have completed a census of damaged commercial establishments, while emergency financial assistance has begun to be distributed through the Patria System to help affected families cover transportation costs and purchase essential food supplies.
The acting president thanked the governments of the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Switzerland and the United States for dispatching the first international rescue contingents to assist Venezuelan emergency services.
La Guaira is one of the hardest-hit regions, where numerous residential buildings and critical infrastructure have collapsed. Authorities warned that the death toll is expected to rise further as emergency teams continue search-and-rescue operations and assess the full extent of the destruction in affected communities.
The Venezuelan government has deployed more than 100 transport units and heavy construction machines to the disaster-stricken state of La Guaira to accelerate debris clearance, reopen blocked roads and improve access for rescue teams following the twin earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.
Also Read: Twin Powerful Earthquakes Rock Venezuela; Heavy Casualties Feared