Two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela's northern coast on 24 June — a national holiday — have killed at least 1,450 people, injured more than 3,150 and left tens of thousands missing, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue workers continue to dig through vast fields of rubble. The disaster is the deadliest seismic event to hit Venezuela in more than a century.

The twin quakes, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck just 39 seconds apart — too quickly for most people to evacuate between tremors. Both were exceptionally shallow, with the larger event occurring at a depth of roughly ten kilometres. Seismologists explain that shallow earthquakes cause disproportionately severe surface damage; a 2018 Venezuelan quake of nearly comparable magnitude but at 150 kilometres depth killed only five people. The ruptures followed the San Sebastián fault, which runs parallel to the coast along the boundary of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates. A preliminary analysis by Oregon State University estimated that nearly 59,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, and satellite images confirm a trail of collapsed apartment towers and resort hotels along the densely populated coastal state of La Guaira — including the symbolic collapse of a twelve-storey building in the town of Caraballeda. At least 189 buildings collapsed nationwide, with more than 580 others structurally damaged. Civil engineers warn that more than 90 percent of structures in La Guaira may have been compromised, even those still standing.

More than 72 hours after the quakes, hope of finding survivors is fading, though isolated rescues continue to offer moments of relief. On Sunday, a man was pulled alive from rubble in La Guaira four days after the disaster; two eleven-year-old boys were also recovered, one shielded from sunlight after days in darkness. In all, at least 33 survivors were rescued over the weekend. The accounts from the ground, however, are overwhelmingly bleak. Families have been digging through wreckage with their bare hands, often knowing their relatives are beneath but unable to reach them without heavy machinery. The decomposition of bodies in temperatures exceeding 30°C is generating a public health emergency: hospitals and morgues in the worst-hit areas have been destroyed or rendered unusable, at least 13 hospitals put out of action entirely. Rescue workers are requesting masks and sanitary equipment to continue operations safely.

The scale of the crisis has exposed severe weaknesses in Venezuela's emergency response infrastructure, hollowed out by years of economic crisis rooted in mismanagement, corruption and international sanctions. Analysts describe the government's reaction as slow and uneven. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and announced the deployment of more than 14,000 soldiers and police officers, but residents and observers say large areas remained unreached for days. Families have blocked heavy machinery from leaving sites, demanding authorities continue searching for their relatives. Volunteers transporting supplies were initially welcomed, then barred from access roads as the government said civilian traffic was impeding emergency vehicles. The missing persons count is sharply contested: while the government puts the figure in the hundreds, the United Nations and an opposition-linked crowdsourcing website both cite more than 50,000 unaccounted for.

International assistance has arrived from more than 24 countries, with over 2,700 foreign rescuers and dozens of search-and-rescue dog units now on the ground, including teams from El Salvador, Spain, Qatar and the United States. The UN Development Programme has estimated physical damage at between $4.7 billion and $8.7 billion — roughly 6 percent of Venezuela's GDP — with total economic impact potentially two to three times higher when infrastructure disruption and long-term reconstruction costs are included. Venezuela's largest oil refinery, Amuay, also halted operations on Sunday following a major power outage, adding to the country's mounting difficulties. For Rodríguez, who leads a government already under intense domestic and international scrutiny, the disaster represents the gravest test yet of her administration's capacity to govern.