CARACAS — 16 July 2026, The death toll from two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela three weeks ago has risen to 4,829, as rescuers and relatives continue searching for victims buried beneath collapsed buildings.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez announced the updated toll on Wednesday, adding that 16,740 people had been injured in the disaster. Most have since been discharged from hospital.
The earthquakes have also left 17,907 people homeless, with many survivors still living in crowded temporary shelters where access to clean water and adequate sanitation remains limited.
In La Guaira state, north of Caracas and among the areas hardest hit, rescue workers and relatives continued searching through piles of rubble for the bodies of missing family members.
The search has continued despite three weeks having passed since the magnitude-7.2 and magnitude-7.5 earthquakes struck Venezuela on 24 June.
The two earthquakes occurred within about a minute of each other, causing widespread destruction in and around the capital and along Venezuela’s northern coast.
Authorities have gradually increased the official death toll as more bodies are recovered and identified. The number of injured has remained at 16,740 in recent government updates.
International organisations have warned that overcrowding, poor sanitation and shortages of clean water at emergency shelters could increase the risk of disease among survivors.
