The death toll from the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela in late June has risen to 6,125, authorities said on Monday, as rescue and recovery efforts continue across some of the country’s hardest-hit regions.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez announced the updated figure in a post on Telegram, saying more than 61,000 people had been treated in hospitals since the twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck on June 24. The latest toll is up from the previous official figure of 5,546 deaths.
The coastal state of La Guaira suffered the worst of the destruction, with nearly 200 buildings collapsing, while the capital, Caracas, also sustained significant damage. A preliminary World Bank assessment estimated the earthquakes caused $19.6 billion in direct physical damage, underscoring the scale of the reconstruction effort facing the country.
Cleanup operations remain underway, with authorities reporting that nearly 350,000 tons of debris have been cleared so far. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), that represents about 16.5% of the estimated 2.1 million tons of rubble left by the disaster.
More than 16,200 buildings have been declared unsafe, forcing thousands of residents to leave their homes. Many displaced families are living in temporary shelters in La Guaira and Caracas as officials continue to assess structural damage and restore essential services.
The government’s handling of the disaster has drawn criticism from some residents and opposition figures, who say emergency responders were too slow to reach victims trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has rejected those accusations, defending the authorities’ response to the crisis.
