Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Critical 72-hour rescue window closes
- Some 6.8 million people have been affected, the UN says
- More than 1,600 foreign rescuers are helping search for quake survivors
- At least 1,450 people have been killed and thousands more injured, according to top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez
- More than 51,000 people are reported missing
- Two magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes hit less than a minute apart
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Follow along for the latest news regarding the earthquakes in Venezuela:
Skip next section Search for survivors continues after 72-hour rescue window closes06/29/2026June 29, 2026
Search for survivors continues after 72-hour rescue window closes
The rescue of a father and son (see our previous entry) offered a rare glimmer of hope in Venezuela after the critical 72-hour window for finding survivors following a natural disaster had passed.
The first 72 hours are widely considered the best chance of rescuing people trapped beneath rubble. Beyond that, rescue efforts often shift to recovering bodies.
At least 33 people were pulled alive from the collapsed buildings over the weekend, though tens of thousands remain missing.
Rescue crews were still racing to find survivors in the aftermath of Venezuela’s powerful twin earthquakes that struck on June 25.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GDXMSkip next section Father, son found alive in rubble after 12-hour rescue operation06/29/2026June 29, 2026
Father, son found alive in rubble after 12-hour rescue operation
A father and his son were found alive in the rubble of a collapsed building in La Guaira, Venezuela on Sunday, four days after devastating twin earthquakes struck the country.
The pair looked visibly weak and were weaking masks as they were carried to a waiting ambulance.
“They are extremely weak, as any patient trapped under rubble for four days would be, so we are doing everything possible to rehydrate them and administer various medications during the extraction process, which is moving very slowly,” said a member of the French Civil Security rescue team.
The 12-hour operation to find the duo was a joint effort by French and US rescue teams who are using specialized search cameras and carefully removing unstable debris to reach the trapped victims.
The successful rescue offered a rare sign of hope as emergency crews race to find signs of life as survival rates decline sharply after the first 72 hours following a major earthquake.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GDU4Skip next section Death toll rises slightly as search efforts continue06/28/2026June 28, 2026
Death toll rises slightly as search efforts continue
Top Venezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said 1,450 people have now died from the quakes in Venezuela.
This figure had earlier stood at 1,430 people.
Thousands more were injured in the quakes.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GD2wSkip next section German ambassador to Venezuela: Chances to find quake victims are ‘diminishing’06/28/2026June 28, 2026
German ambassador to Venezuela: Chances to find quake victims are ‘diminishing’
DW spoke to Volker Pellet, Germany’s ambassador to Venezuela, regarding the earthquakes there, the political situation and the disaster response. He spoke to DW from Caracas.
“There are two realities. There’s one reality in Caracas, a huge city, more than 5 million people who have been affected,” Pellet said. “But the real catastrophe happened on the coast, which is about one hour away from here, La Guaira, you’ve probably heard these names, which is a disaster apocalyptic scenario.
“This is really a completely different reality there,” Pellet said. “It is also different on the coast itself, approaching this horrible sight for kilometers, you see very little destruction. And then all of a sudden, from one moment to the other, there’s total destruction. We have to ask seismic experts why that happened. But this is really shocking to see. I’ve been there last night.”
Pellet was asked how the government under interim President Delcy Rodriguez has handled the situation. He said it’s important to take into account that the Venezuelan government has already struggled to provide public services over the past few decades.
“It’s a chaotic situation. I think in many countries it would be problematic,” Pellet said. “But if you take into account the public services that have not been perfect for the last 20 years, you can imagine how the situation is.”
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Pellet also spoke about the international aid response. He said 25 nations are taking part in relief efforts.
“We have like 3,000 aid workers here. The focus is on search and rescue, as always, in such a disaster. I’ve been to Haiti, so I’ve had some experience on this trying to save lives. But unfortunately now after 3 or 4 days into this catastrophe, the chances to find victims are diminishing every second. But they are doing a great job. They’re doing whatever they can. They work without resting in order to help and save human lives.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5GD1USkip next section Pope Leo expresses solidarity with those affected06/28/2026June 28, 2026
Pope Leo expresses solidarity with those affected
Pope Leo XIV, in a post on X, expressed his solidarity with “our Venezuelan brothers and sisters affected by the recent earthquakes, which have caused numerous deaths and injuries, as well as extensive damage to property.”
“Praying to the Lord for the eternal rest of the deceased, I renew my spirtual solidarity with their families, the injured, and all who have been shaken by this tragedy,” Leo said. “I also wish to express my gratitude and encouragement to those generously working on search and rescue efforts and providing assistance.”
In addition to holding US citizenship, Leo is also a national of another Latin American nation, Peru. Leo is reportedly expected to embark on a tour of Latin America in November, with Peru, Argentinaand Uruguay on the itinerary.
It’s unclear whether Leo will also visit Venezuela in the coming months following the quakes. Venezuela is a Catholic-majority nation.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GCotSkip next section EU to send 5 million emergency aid to Venezuela 06/28/2026June 28, 2026
EU to send 5 million emergency aid to Venezuela
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Sunday said that she spoke with Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodriguez following the earthquake in the Latin American country and conveyed EU’s “full solidarity” with Venezuelan people.
“The EU has already mobilized €5 million in emergency assistance for affected communities,” she said in a post on X.
“The EU’s Copernicus satellite system is supporting emergency responders by helping to map the damage and target assistance where it is needed most,” she added.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GBvdSkip next section 11-year-old boy rescued from rubble06/28/2026June 28, 2026
11-year-old boy rescued from rubble
A child has been pulled from the rubble more than three days after the Venezuela was struck by twin earthquakes.
“A few minutes ago an 11-year-old boy was rescued alive in Caraballeda,” interim President Delcy Rodriguez said on social media.
“At this moment, every life is a source of hope for Venezuela.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5GBfiSkip next section IN PICTURES: Rescue efforts continue across Venezuela06/28/2026June 28, 2026
IN PICTURES: Rescue efforts continue across Venezuela
https://p.dw.com/p/5GBYGSkip next section Venezuela quakes death toll rises dramatically06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Venezuela quakes death toll rises dramatically
The death toll from the twin earthquakes in northwestern Venezuela has risen to 1,430, a top lawmaker said.
The figure is 55% increase from the previous 920 toll.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriquez told state television that another 3,200 people were injured and 3,100 left homeless by the disaster.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GAtDSkip next section Venezuela earthquake may have impacted nearly 7 million, says UN06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Venezuela earthquake may have impacted nearly 7 million, says UN
Almost seven million people may have been impacted by the twin earthquakes in Venezuela, the United Nations estimated.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said “up to 6.76 million people could be affected,” adding that the calculation was based on available population and damage data.
The projections include up to two million people in Caracas alone.
The IOM said the estimate highlights “the potentially vast humanitarian impact of the disaster.”
The national death toll stands at 920, while thousands of people remain missing, many of them trapped under the rubble in the coastal city, La Guaira, and elsewhere.
The UN migration agency urged a bigger response from the international community, adding that the country’s needs were “immediate and significant.”
IOM called for emergency shelter, safe water and sanitation, as well as health care.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GAejSkip next section Newborn baby plucked from Venezuela quake rubble06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Newborn baby plucked from Venezuela quake rubble
Rescuers have found a newborn baby in the rubble of a collapsed building, 32 hours after the twin earthquakes struck Venezuela.
Footage posted on social media shows rescuers bringing the infant out to applause late Friday in the hardest-hit city of La Guaira, north of the capital Caracas.
The video shows them passing the baby, wrapped in a quilt, from person to person before cleaning the child with tissues.
The person who took the video, Andreina Quintero, said the baby was just 18 days old and was uninjured.
The child’s mother was rescued an hour after the child and was later shown in a separate video in a hospital bed.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GAeHSkip next section Venezuela sees influx of international rescue teams06/27/2026June 27, 2026
Venezuela sees influx of international rescue teams
Wesley Dockery Editor
There has been an influx of international search and rescue teams, Venezuela’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oliver Blanco, said.
“In the last few hours, Venezuela has received 17 flights carrying more than 1,600 members of rescue teams,” he wrote on social media.
Over the next few days, the arrival of 25 additional flights is expected.
Teams from countries such as Mexico, Spain, Colombia and the US are now working in the hardest-hit areas of Caracas and La Guaira.
Meanwhile, thousands of Venezuelan volunteers are joining the response, helping search for survivors and distribute supplies as the crisis unfolds.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GAEVSkip next section IN PICTURES: Rescuers race to save trapped people06/27/2026June 27, 2026
IN PICTURES: Rescuers race to save trapped people
https://p.dw.com/p/5GABhSkip next section WATCH: Venezuela quake death toll surges as rescue efforts continue06/27/2026June 27, 2026
WATCH: Venezuela quake death toll surges as rescue efforts continue
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https://p.dw.com/p/5G9lcSkip next section UN deploys 1,600 rescuers as over 50,000 people remain missing06/27/2026June 27, 2026
UN deploys 1,600 rescuers as over 50,000 people remain missing
United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher said more than 50,000 people were still missing after Wednesday’s powerful earthquakes in Venezuela.
He said the UN has deployed 35 search and rescue teams, including 1,600 fully trained rescuers and over 100 dogs to help Venezuelan teams in the rescue effort.
“The priority is pulling as many people from the rubble, saving as many lives as we can,” he told Multimedios TV.
Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours a crucial window to retrieve people alive, though this can be extended if they have access to food and water.
Fletcher said the “scale of the devastation and working in an active earthquake zone,” posed challenges to the rescue teams.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G9jyShow more posts
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