Venezuela earthquake toll surpasses 1,450 as 11-year-old boy rescued after 70 hours under rubble

The disaster

Two major earthquakes, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, hit northern Venezuela within 39 seconds on the evening of 24 June 2026, triggering over 400 aftershocks. The epicentres were located off the coast, with the hardest-hit areas being the capital Caracas and the coastal state of La Guaira, where more than 100 buildings collapsed. The US Geological Survey (USGS) warned that tens of thousands of people could have died. The country lies at the junction of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, experiencing its most powerful tremor since the 1812 quake that killed more than 30,000.

Rescue efforts and challenges

Search-and-rescue operations continued through the weekend, hampered by shortages of heavy equipment and hundreds of aftershocks. More than 2,700 foreign rescuers and 86 teams with search dogs had arrived from 24 countries by Saturday night, according to acting president Delcy Rodriguez. A notable success came when Colombian rescuers pulled an 11-year-old boy, Moises, alive from the rubble in La Guaira after 70 hours. Rodriguez said another 33 survivors were freed on Saturday. However, hopes are fading for many after nearly 100 hours passed. Rescuers described hearing voices several metres below collapsed concrete slabs, trying to supply water and food.

I heard a roar from underground. The walls were moving and I felt like I was in water. The kitchen collapsed. The wall in the living room is about to collapse, one more movement and it will fall.

International response

The United States, Latin American nations and the European Union swiftly offered assistance. President Donald Trump wrote that the US is "ready, willing and able" to help. The EU allocated EUR 5 million and activated its Civil Protection Mechanism, dispatching search-and-rescue teams, firefighters and medical personnel; the Copernicus satellite system is mapping damage. UN agencies estimated that immediate humanitarian needs total USD 52 million for children alone, part of a broader USD 137.6 million appeal for Venezuela in 2026. Rodriguez thanked the international community for the support.

Europe stands by Venezuela in this hour of trial.

Humanitarian toll and economic impact

UNICEF said 1.8 million people, including 680,000 children, require humanitarian aid. At least 432 schools in the Capital District were damaged and many hospitals in five states are overwhelmed. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) placed direct losses at USD 6.7 billion, roughly 6% of Venezuela’s GDP, with the total likely to increase. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) assessed that up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the disaster.

Disinformation and scams

Within hours of the quakes, a wave of disinformation flooded social media platforms, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Fake News (OVFN). Manipulated images and videos showing collapsed buildings and tsunami waves used footage from the 2023 Turkey earthquake and the 2011 Japan tsunami. False tsunami warnings circulated for the city of La Guaira, though neither local seismological services nor the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued any alert for the area beyond a brief initial warning for parts of the Caribbean coast. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned of fraudulent fundraising campaigns exploiting the disaster.