Venezuela's health ministry confirmed on Thursday, 26 June that the death toll from twin powerful earthquakes had climbed to at least 235, with authorities warning the figure could rise further as rescue teams struggled to reach the worst-affected areas. The twin tremors — measuring magnitudes of 7.5 and 7.2 and striking just 40 seconds apart on Wednesday — are the strongest to hit the South American nation in more than a century and the deadliest in decades.

Scale of the Disaster

The shallow earthquakes, both occurring at a depth of just 10 km, released the bulk of their energy near the surface, maximising destruction across Venezuela's central coast and the capital Caracas. The proximity of the epicentres to Caracas — one of the country's most densely populated urban areas — significantly amplified the impact. Widespread building collapses, power outages, and communications failures followed in the immediate aftermath, with repeated aftershocks raising fears of secondary structural failures.

Hundreds Still Trapped Under Rubble

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez told a press conference on Thursday that approximately 200 people remained trapped beneath collapsed buildings. 'We are racing against time in the hope of rescuing as many people as possible,' Rodriguez said. Rescue teams have been deployed across the northern regions, though authorities acknowledged that reaching the worst-hit zones remained a significant challenge.

Government Response and Relief Measures

Rodriguez announced three immediate measures to drive rescue and reconstruction efforts. These include mobilising debris-removal equipment from private companies, establishing a 200-million-USD emergency assistance fund, and providing special credit lines to affected business owners. Foreign Minister Yvan Gil confirmed on Thursday that Venezuela was actively coordinating international assistance, with at least a dozen countries from the region and beyond having expressed solidarity and offered aid.

Why the Damage Was So Severe

Experts have noted that Venezuela had experienced no major earthquake for roughly half a century, leaving much of the population with limited disaster preparedness. Decades of underinvestment in infrastructure have compounded the risk, with aging buildings proving particularly vulnerable to strong seismic activity. This combination — seismic inexperience, deteriorating structures, and shallow high-magnitude strikes — made the twin earthquakes an especially devastating event.

What Comes Next

As rescue operations continue against the clock, the death toll is expected to climb as teams access areas still cut off by debris and infrastructure damage. The international community's response in the coming days will be critical to supplementing Venezuela's strained emergency resources. The scale of reconstruction needed — across both Caracas and the central coast — points to a recovery effort that will extend well beyond the immediate crisis.