The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on 24 June has risen to 2,595, according to figures released by interim President Delcy Rodríguez on Thursday. The same official update put the number of injured at 12,400, an increase of more than 1,100 in a single day. The two tremors, measured at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 by local monitoring agencies, were followed by hundreds of aftershocks, with the coastal state of La Guaira bearing the brunt of the destruction.

Rescue operations continued into their eighth day, with Rodríguez stating that the first phase of search and rescue would not be closed while there remained a possibility of finding survivors. International teams from 33 countries, including the United States, Brazil, and several European nations, are operating alongside Venezuelan personnel. A 43-year-old security guard, Hernán Gil, was pulled alive from the rubble of a shopping centre in Catia La Mar after more than 72 hours of work by multinational crews, a moment captured by local broadcasters. Rodríguez said 6,462 people had been rescued overall, and she thanked foreign leaders, including Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele, for their assistance.

Significant uncertainty surrounds the number of missing. The Venezuelan government has not published an official figure, but the United Nations estimates that up to 50,000 people remain unaccounted for. An unofficial online registry widely cited by local media and humanitarian groups listed approximately 38,500 names by Thursday evening. The World Health Organization warned that the total number of dead is likely to “increase considerably” as search efforts transition to body recovery. Medical sources in the region describe a health system under extreme strain, with shortages of essential medicines predating the disaster and a growing risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks in overcrowded shelters.

The earthquakes, the most powerful to hit Venezuela in over a century, caused the complete collapse of at least 189 buildings, according to the government, while a preliminary satellite assessment by NASA suggested that nearly 59,000 structures may have suffered damage. Rodríguez rejected accusations of a slow official response, insisting that emergency protocols were activated within hours and that 19,000 personnel are now deployed. She also announced negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for reconstruction financing, including a proposed $200 million fund. The toll remains provisional as recovery teams continue to work through debris in La Guaira and other affected areas.