At least 235 people were killed, with thousands more injured, after two of the country's strongest quakes in over a century.
Updated 1:51 AM EDT, Fri June 26, 2026
Here's the latest
• Deadly quakes: The death toll from the twin quakes in Venezuela — a country mired in political and financial crisis — has risen to around 235, as rescuers race to reach survivors before the “golden window” closes. The second quake was the country’s most powerful in more than a century.
• Nowhere to go: Many people are missing or still trapped beneath rubble. Affected residents have nowhere to go after their homes were flattened in La Guaira, Caracas and surrounding areas.
• Global response: The US military are on the ground for rescue efforts in Venezuela – where, earlier this year, special forces conducted a deadly raid to seize President Nicolás Maduro. Relief teams from around the world are also mobilizing help, and pledges of foreign aid are pouring in.
11 min ago
New satellite images shared by spatial intelligence company Vantor reveal extensive damage in the Venezuelan coastal city of La Guaira, just 10 miles north of central Caracas, following the deadly twin earthquakes.
British national Dan Baker said it was “calmer” on the streets in Caracas on Thursday after the “chaos” and “worry” of Wednesday night following the devastating twin earthquakes.
Power cuts as a result of the earthquakes meant some elderly people were trapped in their apartments and with cell service down, people couldn’t communicate with their relatives, Baker told Reuters news agency from his home in the Los Palos Grandes area.
“There was a lot of people really worried about family members still stuck in buildings,” Baker said.
Baker was at the gym when the earthquake struck — the second quake was Venezuela’s most powerful in more than a century — and he had to walk through a closed-off zone to reach his home.
“That’s when I really saw how bad it was, because I saw three tower blocks that completely collapsed. And one of them had came down over a three-lane highway,” Baker told Reuters.
“It was really, really horrendous.”
Baker said the community is pulling together and helping each other in whatever way they can.
Hundreds of people slept in the street Wednesday night, fearful of further quakes, he said. “People from the building were collecting things to take to the building that collapsed nearby,” Baker said.
"Today is calmer," British resident in Caracas says one day after quakes
“Venezuelans are such nice, kind people,” he continued. “And you really see that in moments like this.”
16 min ago
World Central Kitchen via Reuters
Venezuelans are not only reeling from the physical destruction of their country, but also a deepening lack of government coordination in the aftermath of the twin quake crisis, a Caracas-based journalist told CNN on Friday.
“The second day I feel, has been even harder than the first day because we finally realized the extent of the damage… we suspect the number of casualties is higher,” Tony Frangie Mawad said.
Mawad described a “vacuum of authority” in Venezuela and said the “state has no capacity to act.”
“The army hasn’t been widely deployed, or at least not in a visible way,” Mawad said, adding the burden of rescue and relief has fallen on civil organizations, schools, local churches, and families.
Mawad said social media has been flooded with posts of people searching for missing loved ones and calling for help in areas where rescuers have not reached yet.
15 min ago
Volunteers assemble, sort and pack donations bound for Venezuela as relief organizations work to deliver emergency supplies in Miami, Florida, on Thursday. Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
Various countries are deploying rescue teams to Venezuela and pledges of foreign aid are pouring in a day after twin earthquakes destroyed neighborhoods and devastated communities.
The United States is deploying elite rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela. The State Department announced the US will provide $150 million in aid. And the US military is directing its forces in the region to support relief operations, including the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale and transport aircraft.
The United Nations said it is coordinating the deployment of urban search-and-rescue teams to Venezuela.
Neighboring Colombia announced it would send humanitarian aid as well as more than 60 rescuers and four dogs to help with search efforts.
El Salvador sent a contingent of 300 rescuers and paramedics to Venezuela on Thursday, and the government said it arranged the shipment of 50 metric tons of humanitarian aid, including medicine and essential supplies, Reuters reported.
Chile has sent a specialized unit of the Chilean fire department, USAR (Urban Search and Rescue), to Venezuela, Reuters reported.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said health personnel from Cuba are “actively cooperating in the care of the victims” in Venezuela, though he didn’t provide details.
The Dominican Republic has flown in specialized personnel and supplies, according to Reuters.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said he has ordered the dispatch of a rescue mission and personnel from the National Civil Protection System. Donation centers have been set up and people in Panama have been rushing to donate supplies.
Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it will send aid supplies, provide funding and deploy a field hospital. A military plane is also bringing 57 soldiers from its search-and-rescue unit and 40 firefighters.
Mexico sent two Mexican Air Force transport planes carrying 261 personnel, including soldiers, air force members and National Guard troops to Venezuela on Thursday, Reuters reported. The contingent included doctors, nurses and specialized search-and-rescue teams. Authorities said the mission is delivering 4.4 tons of equipment and 2.7 tons of medical supplies. A separate C-130 Hercules aircraft is expected to leave with an additional eight metric tons of medicine and four tons of rescue materials.
France said it is deploying a search-and-rescue unit, medical teams, engineers and dogs to help locate and extract survivors from collapsed buildings, according to Reuters.
Pope Leo has sent an initial aid package worth 100,000 euros (roughly $113,700).
Japanese NGO Peace Winds, that provides emergency humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and reconstruction support to crisis-affected areas, is on its way. to Venezuela.
The European Union said it “stands ready” to mobilize assistance if it receives a request.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced the country’s “readiness” to provide assistance in relief and rescue operations.
China, which has close ties to Venezuela, said it is “willing to provide assistance within its capabilities.”
Various organizations and even civilian volunteers have also joined rescue efforts.
15 min ago
Working just around the corner from the Petunia apartments — one of several high rises that collapsed in the Los Palos Grandes district of Caracas — personal trainer Edwin Borges immediately jumped into action to help search and rescue operations.
He spent all Thursday clearing rubble and debris to help specialized teams enter collapsed structures and find survivors. He has been documenting his experience on Instagram, leading to a bombardment of messages from families and friends of victims desperate for updates.
“The truth is, we honestly don’t know how many are dead,” Borges told CNN. “Everyone wants to know what is happening, and it’s just difficult to give out information in our capacity [as volunteers].”
In his recent Instagram posts, Borges wrote that he had no specific information about survivors and that he would not post any names, encouraging those following him to wait for more information from authorities.
“It’s delicate information [about the victims],” Borges said. “There are so many survivors from the area that want to know if we have found their relatives, but it’s often sensitive information that shouldn’t come from someone like me who either doesn’t know the extent of [the victims’] conditions or doesn’t know how to appropriately communicate difficult news.”
“What I can do is just share what I see,” Borges said about his Instagram posts. “It’s what us volunteers are seeing, not specifics about people.”
15 min ago
Here's the latest
• Deadly quakes: The death toll from the twin quakes in Venezuela — a country mired in political and financial crisis — has risen to around 235, as rescuers race to reach survivors before the “golden window” closes. The second quake was the country’s most powerful in more than a century.
• Nowhere to go: Many people are missing or still trapped beneath rubble. Affected residents have nowhere to go after their homes were flattened in La Guaira, Caracas and surrounding areas.
• Global response: The US military are on the ground for rescue efforts in Venezuela – where, earlier this year, special forces conducted a deadly raid to seize President Nicolás Maduro. Relief teams from around the world are also mobilizing help, and pledges of foreign aid are pouring in.
11 min ago
Before and after images show devastation of quakes
By CNN staffNew satellite images shared by spatial intelligence company Vantor reveal extensive damage in the Venezuelan coastal city of La Guaira, just 10 miles north of central Caracas, following the deadly twin earthquakes.
9 min ago
British national in Caracas describes chaos and worry on the streets after quake
By Helen ReganBritish national Dan Baker said it was “calmer” on the streets in Caracas on Thursday after the “chaos” and “worry” of Wednesday night following the devastating twin earthquakes.
Power cuts as a result of the earthquakes meant some elderly people were trapped in their apartments and with cell service down, people couldn’t communicate with their relatives, Baker told Reuters news agency from his home in the Los Palos Grandes area.
“There was a lot of people really worried about family members still stuck in buildings,” Baker said.
Baker was at the gym when the earthquake struck — the second quake was Venezuela’s most powerful in more than a century — and he had to walk through a closed-off zone to reach his home.
“That’s when I really saw how bad it was, because I saw three tower blocks that completely collapsed. And one of them had came down over a three-lane highway,” Baker told Reuters.
“It was really, really horrendous.”
Baker said the community is pulling together and helping each other in whatever way they can.
Hundreds of people slept in the street Wednesday night, fearful of further quakes, he said. “People from the building were collecting things to take to the building that collapsed nearby,” Baker said.
"Today is calmer," British resident in Caracas says one day after quakes
“Venezuelans are such nice, kind people,” he continued. “And you really see that in moments like this.”
16 min ago
Venezuela "has no capacity to act," says journalist as people reel from quake devastation
By Kathleen MagramoWorld Central Kitchen via Reuters
Venezuelans are not only reeling from the physical destruction of their country, but also a deepening lack of government coordination in the aftermath of the twin quake crisis, a Caracas-based journalist told CNN on Friday.
“The second day I feel, has been even harder than the first day because we finally realized the extent of the damage… we suspect the number of casualties is higher,” Tony Frangie Mawad said.
Mawad described a “vacuum of authority” in Venezuela and said the “state has no capacity to act.”
“The army hasn’t been widely deployed, or at least not in a visible way,” Mawad said, adding the burden of rescue and relief has fallen on civil organizations, schools, local churches, and families.
“It just shows the extent of mismanagement that Venezuela has been experiencing in the last two decades. This is a country that endured the largest economic contraction outside of war in modern history… And now we’re seeing the consequences of that. The state has no capacity to act. There’s no resources, there’s no enough equipment, there’s not enough tools and (the) much needed things for the people trapped in the buildings that collapsed.”
“It’s not only the human toll – which is horrible. It’s not only the vulnerability of the country as a whole, but it’s even seeing the landscape of the city just completely changed and ravaged. And it just affects our collective memory and our identity as Venezuelans.”
15 min ago
Global response efforts for Venezuela are ramping up. Here's where things stand
By Helen ReganVolunteers assemble, sort and pack donations bound for Venezuela as relief organizations work to deliver emergency supplies in Miami, Florida, on Thursday. Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
Various countries are deploying rescue teams to Venezuela and pledges of foreign aid are pouring in a day after twin earthquakes destroyed neighborhoods and devastated communities.
The United States is deploying elite rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela. The State Department announced the US will provide $150 million in aid. And the US military is directing its forces in the region to support relief operations, including the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale and transport aircraft.
The United Nations said it is coordinating the deployment of urban search-and-rescue teams to Venezuela.
Neighboring Colombia announced it would send humanitarian aid as well as more than 60 rescuers and four dogs to help with search efforts.
El Salvador sent a contingent of 300 rescuers and paramedics to Venezuela on Thursday, and the government said it arranged the shipment of 50 metric tons of humanitarian aid, including medicine and essential supplies, Reuters reported.
Chile has sent a specialized unit of the Chilean fire department, USAR (Urban Search and Rescue), to Venezuela, Reuters reported.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said health personnel from Cuba are “actively cooperating in the care of the victims” in Venezuela, though he didn’t provide details.
The Dominican Republic has flown in specialized personnel and supplies, according to Reuters.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said he has ordered the dispatch of a rescue mission and personnel from the National Civil Protection System. Donation centers have been set up and people in Panama have been rushing to donate supplies.
Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it will send aid supplies, provide funding and deploy a field hospital. A military plane is also bringing 57 soldiers from its search-and-rescue unit and 40 firefighters.
Mexico sent two Mexican Air Force transport planes carrying 261 personnel, including soldiers, air force members and National Guard troops to Venezuela on Thursday, Reuters reported. The contingent included doctors, nurses and specialized search-and-rescue teams. Authorities said the mission is delivering 4.4 tons of equipment and 2.7 tons of medical supplies. A separate C-130 Hercules aircraft is expected to leave with an additional eight metric tons of medicine and four tons of rescue materials.
France said it is deploying a search-and-rescue unit, medical teams, engineers and dogs to help locate and extract survivors from collapsed buildings, according to Reuters.
Pope Leo has sent an initial aid package worth 100,000 euros (roughly $113,700).
Japanese NGO Peace Winds, that provides emergency humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and reconstruction support to crisis-affected areas, is on its way. to Venezuela.
The European Union said it “stands ready” to mobilize assistance if it receives a request.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced the country’s “readiness” to provide assistance in relief and rescue operations.
China, which has close ties to Venezuela, said it is “willing to provide assistance within its capabilities.”
Various organizations and even civilian volunteers have also joined rescue efforts.
15 min ago
Volunteer documenting rescue on Instagram urges people to wait for official updates from authorities
By Diego MendozaWorking just around the corner from the Petunia apartments — one of several high rises that collapsed in the Los Palos Grandes district of Caracas — personal trainer Edwin Borges immediately jumped into action to help search and rescue operations.
He spent all Thursday clearing rubble and debris to help specialized teams enter collapsed structures and find survivors. He has been documenting his experience on Instagram, leading to a bombardment of messages from families and friends of victims desperate for updates.
“The truth is, we honestly don’t know how many are dead,” Borges told CNN. “Everyone wants to know what is happening, and it’s just difficult to give out information in our capacity [as volunteers].”
In his recent Instagram posts, Borges wrote that he had no specific information about survivors and that he would not post any names, encouraging those following him to wait for more information from authorities.
“It’s delicate information [about the victims],” Borges said. “There are so many survivors from the area that want to know if we have found their relatives, but it’s often sensitive information that shouldn’t come from someone like me who either doesn’t know the extent of [the victims’] conditions or doesn’t know how to appropriately communicate difficult news.”
“What I can do is just share what I see,” Borges said about his Instagram posts. “It’s what us volunteers are seeing, not specifics about people.”
15 min ago
“Like a war": Woman rushes to coastal city to search for her father
By Isaac YeeVideo taken by Orianna Velásquez shows the collapsed building where her father lived in the coastal town of Caraballeda. Orianna Velásquez
Devastated family members in the Venezuelan coastal city of Caraballeda continue to search through rubble hoping to find loved ones a day after the devastating earthquakes.
Orianna Velásquez, who lives in Caracas, told CNN she traveled to Carabelleda on Thursday morning to search for her father. She described the damage as resembling a war zone.
“I hadn’t expected it to be like that,” she said, adding that “everything looks like it was from a war.”
Velásquez said she saw multiple bodies while searching for her father.
In footage she shared with CNN, the building where her father’s home is in appeared to have fully collapsed. Volunteer rescuers were seen sifting through wreckage.
“Never in my life did I imagine this would happen, nor have I experienced anything like it. Without a doubt, it is the most devastating thing I have ever gone through,” Velásquez said.
She has not been able to find her father and said her search will continue tomorrow morning.
51 min ago
Venezuelans living abroad attended mass for earthquake victims
Hundreds of Venezuelans living in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires have attended a special Catholic mass to pray for the victims of the earthquakes. A Venezuelan flag was placed in the steps of the altar while some seated in pews teared up during the prayers.
“My soul is shattered. My people are safe, fortunately, but we cannot think only about our own people” Tania Mendez, a Venezuelan living in the Argentine capital for a decade, told Reuters.
“We have to think about all those children sleeping in the street, in tents, with nothing, about those who are still trapped, because there are people alive.”
“I know there is a country that is crying, that is suffering right now and that needs us. Whatever little or much we can give, it needs it. Right now, prayer is what I can offer,” she added.
44 min ago
Yamileth Jimenez was still grieving her father, who died three days earlier, when the earthquakes left her 19-year-old son trapped in the debris of their seven-story apartment building in La Guaira, the coastal region in Venezuela that suffered some of the worst damage.
“He’s under the slabs and there’s no machinery to get him out,” Jimenez told Reuters.
She was not alone in saying official help had been slow to arrive. In Caracas, Dayana Delgado, a mother of three, asked where the heavy machinery the government had promised was, noting that neighbors were the ones digging. “I want to know where my child is, if he’s trapped or in a shelter,” she told the Associated Press, of her missing 8-year-old.
In Valencia, families were stuck on the streets, unable to return home.
“We saw so many families on the streets crying with their suitcases and children,” Dariana Zambrano-Vivas, a resident, told CNN’s Elex Michaelson.
“They couldn’t go into their homes again. They’re still outside on the streets, waiting for anything to happen.”
Across La Guaira, volunteers clawed through the wreckage with bare hands as families waited for word of missing relatives. Juan Alberto Mendaño, a retired schoolteacher, climbed through the rubble, past a dead body, when he spotted a woman signaling for help, the AP reported.
“When we heard the scream, there was nothing we could do,” he said.
Devastated family members in the Venezuelan coastal city of Caraballeda continue to search through rubble hoping to find loved ones a day after the devastating earthquakes.
Orianna Velásquez, who lives in Caracas, told CNN she traveled to Carabelleda on Thursday morning to search for her father. She described the damage as resembling a war zone.
“I hadn’t expected it to be like that,” she said, adding that “everything looks like it was from a war.”
Velásquez said she saw multiple bodies while searching for her father.
Video taken by Orianna Velásquez shows the collapsed building where her father lived in the coastal town of Caraballeda. Orianna Velásquez
In footage she shared with CNN, the building where her father’s home is in appeared to have fully collapsed. Volunteer rescuers were seen sifting through wreckage.
“Oh my god, look at what happened to my dad’s building” she can be heard saying in the video.
“Never in my life did I imagine this would happen, nor have I experienced anything like it. Without a doubt, it is the most devastating thing I have ever gone through,” Velásquez said.
She has not been able to find her father and said her search will continue tomorrow morning.
51 min ago
"My soul is shattered": Venezuelans in Argentina pray for loved ones
By Satish CheneyVenezuelans living abroad attended mass for earthquake victims
Hundreds of Venezuelans living in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires have attended a special Catholic mass to pray for the victims of the earthquakes. A Venezuelan flag was placed in the steps of the altar while some seated in pews teared up during the prayers.
“My soul is shattered. My people are safe, fortunately, but we cannot think only about our own people” Tania Mendez, a Venezuelan living in the Argentine capital for a decade, told Reuters.
“We have to think about all those children sleeping in the street, in tents, with nothing, about those who are still trapped, because there are people alive.”
“I know there is a country that is crying, that is suffering right now and that needs us. Whatever little or much we can give, it needs it. Right now, prayer is what I can offer,” she added.
44 min ago
Voices of desperation in Venezuela as residents wait for news of missing loved ones
By Hanna Park
Yamileth Jimenez was still grieving her father, who died three days earlier, when the earthquakes left her 19-year-old son trapped in the debris of their seven-story apartment building in La Guaira, the coastal region in Venezuela that suffered some of the worst damage.
“He’s under the slabs and there’s no machinery to get him out,” Jimenez told Reuters.
She was not alone in saying official help had been slow to arrive. In Caracas, Dayana Delgado, a mother of three, asked where the heavy machinery the government had promised was, noting that neighbors were the ones digging. “I want to know where my child is, if he’s trapped or in a shelter,” she told the Associated Press, of her missing 8-year-old.
In Valencia, families were stuck on the streets, unable to return home.
“We saw so many families on the streets crying with their suitcases and children,” Dariana Zambrano-Vivas, a resident, told CNN’s Elex Michaelson.
“They couldn’t go into their homes again. They’re still outside on the streets, waiting for anything to happen.”
Across La Guaira, volunteers clawed through the wreckage with bare hands as families waited for word of missing relatives. Juan Alberto Mendaño, a retired schoolteacher, climbed through the rubble, past a dead body, when he spotted a woman signaling for help, the AP reported.
“When we heard the scream, there was nothing we could do,” he said.
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