Death toll from Venezuela’s twin earthquakes rises to 3,535

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Venezuelan Civil Protection members, firefighters and volunteers work at the site of a collapsed building following earthquakes in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, Venezuela, on June 26, 2026. Photo by Maryorin Mendez / AFP.

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The death toll from Venezuela’s twin earthquakes has risen to 3,535, with more than 16,700 injured in the disaster, according to updated official figures released on Monday.

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The massive June 24 earthquakes flattened entire neighborhoods in La Guaira state north of the capital Caracas, and thousands are still reported missing.

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The government said 16,740 people were injured in the powerful back-to-back shocks and that over 17,000 were left homeless.

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The government has not given a figure for those still missing under mountains of rubble, but the UN estimates that as many as 50,000 people may still be unaccounted for.

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Many of the survivors are living in temporary camps on the street, in public parks or car parks.

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As focus shifts from rescuing survivors to burying the dead and clearing the debris, international rescue teams have begun leaving Venezuela.

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Families meanwhile continue to search for their dead in the hope of giving them a dignified burial.

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On Sunday, authorities began burying dozens of unidentified victims in a mass grave.

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A line of simple white crosses with small bouquets at their foot marked a long row of individual graves in La Esperanza cemetery in La Guaira.

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Each one had the same date of death: June 24, 2026.

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AFP

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