Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez announced on Friday that the death toll from the powerful twin earthquakes has risen to 589, while nearly 3,000 people have sustained injuries as emergency teams continue rescue operations across the country.
Speaking on the government’s response, Rodríguez said authorities remain focused on locating survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings. “We are going to rescue the people who are trapped,” she said, adding that rescue personnel are working around the clock despite difficult conditions.
She noted that dozens of survivors have already been pulled from the rubble, describing each successful rescue as a source of hope for grieving families.
Authorities also reported 214 aftershocks since the initial disaster, underscoring the continuing seismic threat. In response, the government has ordered the militarisation of La Guaira—the province hardest hit by the earthquakes—to strengthen rescue efforts, maintain security and coordinate relief operations.
Rodríguez expressed appreciation for the international assistance arriving in Venezuela, confirming that foreign search-and-rescue teams have been deployed to multiple disaster zones.
Despite ongoing rescue operations, officials warned that hundreds of people remain trapped or unaccounted for. A government portal established to help families locate missing relatives had registered approximately 50,000 reports of missing individuals by Friday morning.
The twin earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck about 160 kilometres west of Caracas on Wednesday evening during a public holiday. Seismologists have warned that the final death toll could rise significantly, with some estimates suggesting it may exceed 10,000.
The disaster is already the country’s deadliest seismic event in decades, surpassing the 1967 earthquake that claimed 240 lives.
La Guaira, located along Venezuela’s northern coastline, suffered the most extensive destruction and has been designated a disaster zone. At least 100 buildings, including several high-rise residential towers, have collapsed.
Residents have joined rescue efforts using shovels, picks and even their bare hands amid growing criticism over shortages of heavy machinery needed to clear debris quickly.
International support has expanded rapidly, with search-and-rescue teams from at least 17 countries travelling to Venezuela. Rescue personnel from the Dominican Republic were among the first to reach La Guaira, followed by teams from Mexico, El Salvador, Spain and Colombia. Switzerland and Germany have also dispatched specialist crews equipped with rescue dogs and advanced search equipment.
The humanitarian crisis has further strained a nation already grappling with prolonged economic hardship, political instability and aging infrastructure.
The United Nations’ migration agency estimates that nearly seven million people could be affected by the disaster and has begun distributing emergency shelters and relief supplies to displaced communities.
In Caracas, the country’s stock exchange remained closed after its facilities were converted into a humanitarian aid collection centre.
While widespread damage has disrupted daily life, Venezuela’s crucial oil industry has largely avoided significant operational impacts, with major production facilities and infrastructure remaining intact.
In a move aimed at facilitating humanitarian assistance, the United States temporarily eased sanctions on Venezuela, allowing the government to conduct financial transactions related to earthquake relief until 23 October. The measure also paved the way for Washington to announce $150 million in emergency assistance.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said rescue teams would be deployed to support recovery efforts, while the Pentagon will assist operations at Caracas’ damaged airport to improve the flow of humanitarian aid into the country.
