Venezuela's earthquake toll rises to at least 164 dead and nearly 1,000 injured

Thursday, June 25th 2026 - 09:04 UTC

Rodríguez said that La Guaira, a coastal state north of Caracas, is the hardest hit and described it as a “disaster zone,” with a high number of collapsed buildings

The number of victims from the twin earthquake that struck north-central Venezuela rose to at least 164 dead and 971 injured, acting President Delcy Rodríguez reported on Thursday, warning that the figure would keep rising as rescue work progressed. The quakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, hit on Wednesday afternoon and left dozens of buildings collapsed across several regions of the country.

Rodríguez reiterated that the coastal state of La Guaira, neighboring Caracas, is the hardest hit and described it as a “true tragedy” and a “disaster zone,” with dozens of collapsed buildings, among them a waterfront hotel in the city of Macuto. The state is home to Maiquetía International Airport, which serves the capital and remains closed because of severe damage to its infrastructure. La Guaira's preliminary toll was not yet fully included in the national figures.

Rescue teams worked against the clock through the rubble. The mayor of the Caracas municipality of Chacao, Gustavo Duque, said that people could still be heard alive and that at least 23 had been rescued. Relatives of the missing waited beside the collapsed buildings of Caracas and La Guaira for news.