Officials said thousands remained unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck near the capital.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA — Venezuela’s earthquake death toll rose to at least 920 on Friday as rescue crews searched collapsed buildings nearly two days after two powerful quakes struck the country’s north coast and shook the capital region.
The updated toll marked a sharp rise from earlier counts that had placed the number of dead near 600. Officials said thousands of people remained missing or unaccounted for, with online registries listing tens of thousands of names. The worst damage was reported in La Guaira, a coastal state north of Caracas, where buildings fell, roads cracked and hospitals struggled to treat the injured.
The quakes struck Wednesday evening, first as a magnitude 7.2 foreshock and then, 39 seconds later, as a magnitude 7.5 mainshock, according to U.S. seismic data. Both were centered west of Caracas, close enough to send residents rushing into streets, parking lots and open areas. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said La Guaira had become a disaster zone. “We are going to rescue the people who are trapped,” Rodríguez said Friday as crews worked through unstable debris.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez later said the confirmed death toll had reached 920. Earlier official figures listed hundreds dead and thousands injured, and authorities warned that the count could keep changing as crews reached damaged neighborhoods. Rescue teams focused on La Guaira, Catia La Mar, Caracas and nearby communities where apartment blocks, hotels and public buildings were reported to have collapsed. The exact number of people trapped under rubble remained unknown Friday, and officials had not released a complete list of victims.
Residents described a fast, violent sequence that left little time to react. In Caracas, people ran from homes, offices and transit areas as walls shook and power failed in parts of the city. Along the coast, volunteers used shovels, buckets and bare hands before heavier equipment arrived. Hospitals took in waves of patients with crush injuries, broken bones and breathing problems from dust and debris. Health officials deployed medical workers while emergency crews tried to move patients through damaged roads and power outages.
Foreign rescue teams and aid shipments began arriving Friday as the search widened. Authorities said hundreds of foreign rescue workers were joining Venezuelan teams, including crews trained to work with dogs, listening devices and cutting tools. The United States, Mexico, Spain and several Latin American and European countries pledged support. The United Nations also worked with relief agencies as Venezuela faced damaged roads, closed or slowed ports, power failures and reports of airport disruption near Caracas.
The earthquakes hit a country already under strain from years of economic crisis, migration and weak public services. Venezuela sits near active fault systems along the southern Caribbean, and damaging earthquakes have struck the country before. The latest quakes were among the strongest recorded in Venezuela in more than a century. Seismic models released after the shaking warned that casualties could rise because of the strength of the quakes, the shallow depth and the number of people living near the hardest-hit zones.
Power outages slowed work at key infrastructure sites Friday, including ports and industrial plants. La Guaira port remained shut, while operations at Puerto Cabello, the country’s largest bulk cargo port, were limited. Energy and transport disruptions complicated the movement of food, water, fuel, medical supplies and heavy rescue equipment. Officials said some oil operations had not suffered major damage, but recovery crews were still assessing refineries, petrochemical plants, power stations and roads across the affected region.
Search teams were expected to keep working through the night as aftershocks, unstable buildings and damaged utilities raised the risk for rescuers. Authorities said emergency zones would remain under tighter security as crews cleared rubble and moved survivors to shelters. Families continued posting names and photos of missing relatives online, while volunteers gathered outside collapsed buildings waiting for news. The next official casualty update was expected after rescue teams completed more searches in La Guaira and Caracas.
Author note: Last updated June 26, 2026.