CARACAS — The death toll from twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to at least 1,719, with another 5,034 people injured, Venezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodríguez said, as rescue teams continued searching for survivors more than six days after the disaster.
The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes struck roughly 39 seconds apart off Venezuela's northern coast on June 24, causing widespread destruction in La Guaira state and the capital, Caracas. The 7.5 mainshock was the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, according to seismologists.
Rescue operations have extended well beyond the 72-hour window typically considered critical for finding survivors alive. "We are beyond the 72-hour critical window, but this is one of the miracles of this country -- rescuers are still being able to pull out alive people," said an official identified as Rampolla del Tindaro, adding that seven people were extracted alive from rubble the previous day.
Three American citizens have died in the disaster and 12 remain missing, a senior U.S. official confirmed. Nationals from Brazil, China, Spain, Italy and Portugal have also been counted among the dead, according to government statements from those countries.
A preliminary satellite-based assessment released by NASA-affiliated researchers using European Space Agency radar data estimated that approximately 58,870 buildings were damaged or destroyed across central and northern Venezuela. Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez separately reported that 855 buildings sustained damage, with 189 suffering total collapse. Researchers cautioned that the satellite findings represent a rapid, unvalidated estimate.
The United States has committed $300 million to the disaster response, a senior U.S. administration official told reporters. "I think this is, by really any estimate, at this point the largest response to any natural disaster the United States has mounted in this century in terms of personnel on the ground, money out the door, speed," the official said.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said authorities are assessing the habitability of homes in La Guaira, Miranda and Caracas, and are developing plans to build new housing for displaced residents. More than 14,000 military personnel and over 2,600 foreign rescuers have been deployed to affected areas, according to Venezuelan officials.
Local authorities in Caracas have begun classifying buildings using a color-coded system to indicate habitability, as structural assessments continue across the hardest-hit neighborhoods. Officials have not said when search-and-rescue operations are expected to conclude.
