Venezuela suffers from double earthquakes and death alert: rescue teams rush to the most affected coastal region
Rescue teams are quickly mobilizing to the north coast of Venezuela, devastated by almost simultaneous earthquakes that resulted in the collapse of dozens of buildings, with thousands of people feared to have died. The race against time is intense to locate survivors under the rubble.
The United States Department of Defense, as announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, must assist in the movement of search and rescue teams. The measure became crucial after earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 severely damaged Simón Bolívar International Airport, near Caracas, in an interval of less than 40 seconds, last Wednesday.
Rubio emphasized that the main need at this time is search and rescue. He warned that there are many collapsed structures, requiring great effort to excavate the debris, and the next 72 hours are considered “golden” to save lives.
At these critical times, rescue operations aim to reach victims as quickly as possible while there is still a chance of survival, especially those trapped under buildings.
The coastal area, which includes cities such as La Guaira, Catia La Mar and Caraballeda, close to the international airport, was the hardest hit. Large residential buildings have been completely destroyed and many residents are desperately searching for missing family members, with reports of entire families missing.
The interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, described the situation as an “absolute tragedy” in a statement, and declared the La Guaira region a disaster zone.
Damage in Caracas and appeal for assistance
The Venezuelan capital, Caracas, also recorded significant damage, with several buildings collapsing in the neighborhoods of Altamira and Los Palos Grandes.
Tom Fletcher, director of the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, assured that the organization is “fully mobilized” and will send a large number of professionals in solidarity and support for search and rescue, for the people who have lost so much. He reinforced the urgency of immediate action.
Images from Simón Bolívar International Airport, in Maiquetia, Venezuela, recorded moments of panic, with people reacting to the cloud of dust that rose through the terminals while tremors shook the place.
In Catia La Mar, in the state of La Guaira, near Caracas, residents were caught searching through huge piles of rubble, searching for survivors amid the rubble of a collapsed building.
The UN agency reported that in the La Guaira region alone, more than a hundred buildings collapsed, including the large Palácio Ritasol apartment block and the Hotel Eduard, on the seafront. Among the missing are children aged five and older and elderly people.
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The strength of the earthquakes was so intense that the tremors were noticed in the city of Manaus, in the Brazilian Amazon, located more than 1,600 kilometers south of Caracas, causing people to evacuate their homes.
Scenario of destruction and international support
Two strong earthquakes hit Venezuela on June 25, 2026. Residents observed damaged buildings in Catia La Mar, following the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors. At least 32 people died and 700 were injured after consecutive tremors in the center-north of the country, which caused buildings to collapse and facades to crack, leading to the declaration of a national state of emergency by interim president Delcy Rodríguez.
As Venezuela faced continued aftershocks in its northern region, the international community expressed condolences and offered support to a nation that had already been struggling for years with a deep economic and humanitarian crisis, as well as political instability. The intensity of this natural disaster worsens in the context of an already fragile infrastructure and public services, making emergency response and long-term recovery even more difficult.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, declared that his country is ready, together with European partners, to offer assistance to the affected populations, announcing the immediate dispatch of a team of 85 specialized rescuers.
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expressed “great concern and dismay” for the Venezuelan people, highlighting the “great resilience in the face of adversity” already demonstrated by the nation.
US President Donald Trump also offered help, saying the US is “ready, willing and able to help”. He instructed all government agencies to prepare to act quickly, ensuring the country would be there for its “new and great friends” despite “first reports are not good.”
A car appeared crushed under the rubble of a building after the earthquakes in Caraballeda, in the state of La Guaira, highlighting the devastating force of the tremors.
Interim President Rodríguez, a former vice president who assumed command of the country, expressed gratitude for the global show of solidarity, stating on social media that “Venezuela will never forget the helping hand extended to our people in these difficult times.”
In her televised speech, she reiterated that the state of La Guaira was the region hardest hit by Wednesday’s “unprecedented seismic phenomenon.” There, dozens of buildings have collapsed, and teams are dedicated to the arduous rescue task, hoping to save as many lives as possible.
Aerial images painted a bleak picture in La Guaira, considered the “epicenter” of the catastrophe by authorities. The vast expanse of beach towns and Caribbean resorts west of the airport was in ruins, with many beachfront structures completely destroyed.
