Disasters & Incidents
Venezuela earthquake death toll rises to 5,398, officials say
The official death toll from the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 5,398, officials said in an update released Wednesday.
The toll increased by 52 from the previous day, according to legislative chief Jorge Rodriguez. The government’s tally of injured people remained at 16,740.
The earthquakes had magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 and destroyed hundreds of buildings, especially in La Guaira, the hardest-hit state on Venezuela’s northern coast.
The government has not given a figure for people still missing. Several national and international organizations estimate that thousands of people may still be unaccounted for.
Searches are continuing for people whose remains may be under rubble, but response operations are increasingly shifting toward humanitarian aid and reconstruction about a month after the disaster.
Interim president Delcy Rodriguez said this week that the government would deliver 4,000 homes by the end of the year to people displaced by the earthquakes, including an estimated 23,000 people who are now homeless. She also set a goal of 10,000 homes for earthquake victims by 2027.
The International Monetary Fund has released about $346 million from Venezuela’s reserves to finance reconstruction. Venezuela’s National Assembly also approved reforms intended to speed up the construction of housing developments during rebuilding.
Officials said 1,405 aftershocks have been recorded in the month since the earthquakes.
Update
Officials put the death toll at 5,398, up 52 from the previous day.
The official injury tally remained 16,740.
Officials have not given a number of people still missing, while several national and international organizations estimate that thousands may remain unaccounted for.
Search efforts continue, but operations are shifting toward humanitarian aid and rebuilding one month after the disaster.
Interim president Delcy Rodriguez said the government aims to deliver 4,000 homes by the end of the year and 10,000 homes by 2027 for earthquake victims.
The International Monetary Fund has released around $346 million from Venezuela's reserves for reconstruction.
The National Assembly approved reforms intended to speed up housing construction.
Officials said 1,405 aftershocks have been recorded since the earthquakes.
Source note: AFP news report published on 23 July 2026 at 02:21:29 UTC.
Update
The official death toll has risen to at least 5,346, up 68 from the previous day.
The number of injured people remained at 16,740.
The United Nations estimates that as many as 50,000 people may still be unaccounted for.
Authorities have recorded 1,405 aftershocks since the earthquakes.
More than 23,000 people have been displaced.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said about 200 families who lost their homes would be housed in a Caracas apartment complex and pledged help to create more than 4,000 homes.
Official figures say more than 850 buildings were damaged and 190 collapsed completely.
Source note: AFP news report published on 22 July 2026 at 02:46:06 UTC.
Update
The official death toll rose to at least 5,278.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez gave the updated death toll on Telegram.
The number of injured remained at 16,740.
Authorities had not provided an estimate of the number of people still missing.
The government reported that more than 23,500 displaced people were living in makeshift camps.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 July 2026 at 03:12:54 UTC.
Update
The official death toll rose to 5,208.
The toll increased by 89 since Saturday.
The number of injured remained unchanged at 16,740, according to Jorge Rodriguez.
Body recovery continued in La Guaira from the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Authorities had not provided an estimate of how many people remained missing.
Nearly 20,000 homeless people were in makeshift camps in La Guaira.
Official figures said more than 850 buildings were damaged and 190 collapsed completely.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 July 2026 at 23:07:37 UTC.
Update
The official death toll rose to 5,119.
The toll increased by 50 deaths since Friday.
The number of injured remained unchanged at 16,740.
Bodies were still being recovered from rubble in La Guaira.
Thousands of people were homeless and others were staying in temporary camps.
Venezuelan authorities had not provided an estimate for the number of people still missing.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 July 2026 at 22:44:03 UTC.
Update
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said Venezuela tapped $346 million from the IMF for earthquake reconstruction.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva confirmed the release of funds and said they came from Venezuela's reserve tranche.
The source says about 20,000 people made homeless by the quakes are living in overcrowded camps, many lacking water supplies and proper sanitation systems.
The source says Venezuela holds 3.568 billion Special Drawing Rights at the IMF, equivalent to about $5.1 billion.
The source says the IMF and World Bank announced in April that they were resuming relations with Venezuela after ties had been frozen since 2019.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 July 2026 at 02:39:04 UTC.
Update
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said Venezuela would use $346 million from the International Monetary Fund for earthquake reconstruction.
The IMF did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The injury figure remained unchanged at 16,740, with most of the injured earlier reported to have been discharged from hospital.
About 20,000 people made homeless by the earthquakes were living in overcrowded camps, many without water supplies or proper sanitation.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 July 2026 at 01:35:14 UTC.
Update
The number of injured people remains unchanged at 16,740.
Rodriguez earlier said most injured people had already been discharged from hospital.
About 20,000 people made homeless by the earthquakes are living in overcrowded camps.
Many camps lack water supplies and proper sanitation systems.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 July 2026 at 21:05:03 UTC.
Update
National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez said the twin earthquakes killed 5,069 people.
Rodriguez posted the toll on Telegram on Friday.
Rodriguez said most casualties occurred in the coastal state of La Guaira.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 July 2026 at 20:49:20 UTC.
Update
The Venezuelan government said the earthquake death toll has exceeded 5,000.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 July 2026 at 20:37:45 UTC.
Update
The reported death toll rose to 4,829.
At least 20,857 people made homeless by the earthquakes are living in overcrowded camps.
Many camps reportedly lack water supplies and proper sanitation systems.
Searches for victims under collapsed buildings are continuing three weeks after the earthquakes.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 July 2026 at 20:56:22 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The government has not given a figure for the number of people still missing.
The estimate that thousands may still be unaccounted for comes from national and international organizations, not from an official government tally.
Source
AFP news report published on .