Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll and Injuries Continue to Rise

Caracas – The number of fatalities from powerful earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela has climbed to 2,595, with an additional 12,400 individuals reported injured. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced the updated figures on Thursday, eight days after magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors hit the region on June 24.

Rodríguez presented the latest casualty count during a press conference, emphasizing the ongoing emergency response and rescue operations in the affected areas. She highlighted the significant involvement of national and international rescue teams, noting that 6,462 people have been rescued since the earthquakes occurred. Rescuers from 33 countries are reportedly participating in the search and salvage efforts.

“

Immediately, the Venezuelan state as a whole was activated. The first thing we did a few hours after it occurred was to issue a decree to address this emergency situation; civil protection and the public defense system were immediately deployed.

Speaking alongside Parliament President Jorge Rodríguez and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, the Vice President defended her government's handling of the crisis. She refuted criticisms questioning the speed and effectiveness of the official response, stating that state apparatus was mobilized within hours of the seismic events. A decree was issued to address the emergency, and civil protection and public defense systems were immediately deployed.

Rodríguez also shared that she received calls from 72 heads of state and government in the initial hours following the earthquakes, conveying a consistent message of prioritizing life-saving efforts and accepting international aid. A notable rescue case involved Hernán Gil, a 43-year-old Venezuelan found alive after eight days trapped under the rubble of a building in Playa del Mar, following a rescue operation involving over 100 international rescuers that lasted more than 72 hours.

“

In all those conversations, I conveyed the same message: the priority was to save lives and receive.