Earthquake in Venezuela: where the 'disaster zone' is and what is the current situation in the country

Venezuela suffers strongest earthquake in more than 100 years
Venezuela authorities estimate that dozens of people remain trapped under rubble more than 24 hours after the double earthquake that hit the country on Wednesday night (24). The most critical situation is concentrated in the city of La Guaira, classified by the government as a "disaster zone".
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▶ Context: Two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 hit Venezuela in an interval of less than a minute on Wednesday.
According to the latest balance, released on Thursday (25), 235 people died. More than 1,500 were injured and around 200 remain under rubble.
A website created to gather information on the missing has almost 40,000 records. The number has not been independently verified or confirmed by the government.
Throughout Thursday, residents of hard-hit cities reported that aid had not yet reached several locations where buildings had collapsed. Faced with the delay, many began to look for victims on their own.
"We are trying to help with what we can, but we lack equipment," Carlos Borges, who was participating in the search in La Guaira, told Reuters.
La Guaira is on the north coast of Venezuela and is about 30 km from Caracas. The region was one of the hardest hit by the earthquakes and accounts for some of the deaths and collapses.
Hospitals were full, thousands of people spent the night on the streets and several neighborhoods remained without electricity or communication services.
According to projections from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the number of deaths could increase as teams manage to access the most destroyed areas and advance in the search for the missing.
The interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, stated that the government is working with private companies to mobilize heavy machinery and speed up rescues.
Cities on the coast of Venezuela are among the hardest hit
Juan Silva/Arte g1
Searches on your own
While emergency teams worked in some neighborhoods, families and volunteers dug through the rubble with their bare hands in search of survivors.
"Isn't it possible to call the military? Let everyone come and help. Put them in vehicles and bring tractors wherever possible", asked Argenis Martínez, who was looking for a relative under the rubble.
Along the highway that connects Caracas to La Guaira, residents transported water, food and medicine to complement the work of rescue teams.
Despite the mobilization, many were still waiting for news from family members.
"My son is under the concrete slabs and there are no machines to get him out," said Yamileth Jiménez. She believes that her 19-year-old son remains trapped under the rubble of the building where the family lived.
During the early hours of Thursday, fires reached areas of rubble, despite the interruption of the gas supply. With nowhere to go, dozens of people spent the night on the streets.
"We lost everything. We have no food or medicine. We hope help arrives soon," said Pedro Pérez, 64, who slept on the street with his wife and children after losing his home and the place where he worked.
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Volunteers search for victims in a building that collapsed in La Guaira, on June 25, 2026
Federico Parra/AFP
Crowded hospitals and lack of infrastructure
The earthquakes also overwhelmed the health system. The José María Vargas Hospital, in La Guaira, was full of injured people. Some patients had to be treated outside the unit while police officers controlled access to the building.
"We need devices to measure pressure, gauze, thermometers, gloves, plasters, painkillers... of everything," doctor Augusto Ramírez told Reuters.
According to him, only three doctors have treated 112 patients since the tremors. Nine people died as a result of their injuries, including three children.
The Armed Forces have begun to set up field hospitals in the region, which will be able to carry out emergency surgeries.
Situation in Caracas
Relief teams work in the Caracas region, in Venezuela, after the earthquake on June 24, 2026
Juan Barreto/AFP
The earthquakes also caused damage in Caracas. Residents reported that they ran into the streets during the tremors and spent the night in parks, parking lots and other open spaces for fear of further collapses.
Parts of the capital were left without electricity and without cell phone signal. used as shelters and donation reception centers.
The government also reported that at least eight hospitals, the headquarters of the Venezuelan Red Cross and the French embassy suffered damage.
International aid
Rescue teams that will be sent to help earthquake victims in Venezuela prepare to board an aircraft in the Second Air Brigade of the El Salvador Air Force on June 25, 2026
REUTERS/José Cabezas
The government of Venezuela reported that rescuers from the Dominican Republic began arriving in the country and thanked the support offered by several governments, including the United States, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Canada, Mexico and Qatar.
The United States temporarily eased part of the economic sanctions to allow transactions related to humanitarian aid.
President Donald Trump stated that the country is "ready, willing and able to help".
Rescuers from El Salvador arrived in Venezuela on Thursday night. rescue effort in the coming days.
The UN reported that it coordinates an international task force to support the operations and stated that a major humanitarian effort will be needed in a country that was already facing a crisis before the earthquakes.
The company Starlink announced that it will provide free internet until July 25th for new and old customers in the affected areas. The company also said that it is working to install new terminals in the most affected regions.
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Source: G1