Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Two major quakes struck central Venezuela seconds apart, one with a magnitude 7.2 and the other with a magnitude 7.5
- At least 235 are dead, with over 1,500 injured, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado has said
- Venezuela’s president has declared a state of emergency
- Extensive damage reported in the capital of Caracas and the nearby state of La Guaira
Follow along for the latest news regarding the earthquakes in Venezuela:
Skip next section Death toll more than doubles to 589, acting president says06/26/2026June 26, 2026
Death toll more than doubles to 589, acting president says
Saim Dušan Inayatullah Editor
The death toll from the twin earthquakes that hit Venezuela late on Wednesday has reached 589 on Friday, acting president Delcy Rodriguez said.
Injuries are now at 2,980, she added.
“We are going to rescue the people who are trapped,” she said, surrounded by government and military officials. “We are working tirelessly on this task.”
She said the coastal state of La Guaira — which lies north of the capital, Caracas — has been hit the hardest. She said that security forces had been deployed to assist as crews search for survivors and distribute food and water.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G7WXSkip next section China offers aid to Venezuela after deadly quakes06/26/2026June 26, 2026
China offers aid to Venezuela after deadly quakes
Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered disaster relief and reconstruction support to Venezuela following deadly earthquakes.
State media said Xi sent a message of condolences to interim president Delcy Rodriguez, pledging assistance after the disaster.
The quakes have killed at least 235 people, with Chinese authorities earlier confirming that two of their nationals were among the victims.
Xi said Beijing stands ready to help with both immediate relief efforts and longer-term rebuilding.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G7SNSkip next section German relief aircraft en route to Venezuela06/26/2026June 26, 2026
German relief aircraft en route to Venezuela
The first German aircraft carrying aid workers and relief supplies to Venezuela took off from Wunstorf in Lower Saxony on Friday, the German DPA news agency reported.
The A400M Bundeswehr transport plane is carrying both soldiers and relief personnel, as well as equipment and supplies.
More planes are due to take off later on Friday.
“All the supplies are from the Federal Agency for Technical Relief or other aid organizations. We’re not taking any Bundeswehr equipment with us,” a crewmember was quoted as saying by the DPA news agency.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G73WSkip next section US general lands in Venezuela to aid relief efforts06/26/2026June 26, 2026
US general lands in Venezuela to aid relief efforts
A senior US military official has arrived in Caracas after Venezuela’s interim government “formally requested US support” following the two devastating earthquakes this week, Pentagon said on Friday.
“US Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard arrived in Caracas, Venezuela, today, to oversee Department of War support to Venezuela earthquake relief efforts,” said the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), whose area of responsibility covers Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to SOUTHCOM, the US military forces deployed will “utilize fixed and rotor wing aircraft to provide specialized mobility services and assist US Government personnel, search and rescue teams, and partners assessing damage and delivering critical life-saving assistance.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5G6yxSkip next section Two Spaniards dead, dozens missing after Venezuela quakes06/26/2026June 26, 2026
Two Spaniards dead, dozens missing after Venezuela quakes
Two Spanish nationals have been confirmed dead after the earthquakes in Venezuela, raising the number of foreign citizens killed in the Venezuela earthquakes to eight. Many more remain missing.
“We deeply regret the death of two Spaniards confirmed by their own families, to whom we extend our condolences,” the Spanish Foreign Ministry said.
“The number of Spaniards currently unaccounted for stands at 80.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5G65WSkip next section At least six foreign nationals killed in Venezuela twin earthquakes06/26/2026June 26, 2026
At least six foreign nationals killed in Venezuela twin earthquakes
The latest death toll following the twin earthquakes in Venezuela stood at 235 on Friday morning, reportedly including at least six foreign nationals.
- A Brazilian man and woman were killed in the disaster, Brazil’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.
- A dual Italian-Venezuelan national died after a building collapsed in La Guaira, Italy’s foreign ministry said.
- Two people from China were killed, according to the embassy in Caracas, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.
- One person from Portugal was also among the victims, the foreign ministry confirmed.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G5hDSkip next section Quake death toll rises to 235, health minister says06/26/2026June 26, 2026
Quake death toll rises to 235, health minister says
Venezuela’s Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said the death toll from the back-to-back earthquakes in the country has risen to at least 235.
“We’ve unfortunately received about 235 patients who arrived without vital signs or who passed away as they’re arriving at our health centers,” Alvarado said in an interview with state television.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G5T9Skip next section US deploys warships, planes to aid quake response06/26/2026June 26, 2026
US deploys warships, planes to aid quake response
The United States has said it’s deploying two warships, transport planes and helicopters to assist earthquake-hit Venezuela.
They include the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale and the littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15), as well as C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
The US military’s Southern Command said its forces would provide support for search-and-rescue teams and “US interagency partners as they assess damage, locate the injured, and deliver critical, life-saving assistance.”
Washington has also pledged to provide $150 million in aid.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said the US would provide a “whole-of-government” response to the twin quakes.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5G5SOSkip next section Interim President Delcy Rodriguez visits earthquake epicenter06/26/2026June 26, 2026
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez visits earthquake epicenter
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, has visited La Guaira, a state located near the capital, Caracas, that was among those hardest hit by Wednesday’s devastating earthquakes.
From Macuto, a historic seaside city and civil parish in the state, Rodriguez — standing alongside Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Parliament Speaker Jorge Rodríguez — addressed the nation, according to footage from the state-run TV channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV).
“We hope to rescue as many people as possible while they are still alive,” she said. “We have requested international assistance; the first rescue workers from the Dominican Republic are about to land, and others from other countries will arrive shortly.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5G5SGSkip next section US to allow transactions tied to Venezuela earthquake relief06/26/2026June 26, 2026
US to allow transactions tied to Venezuela earthquake relief
The US Treasury has issued a license authorizing transactions related to earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela that would have been banned under sanctions
into October.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G5QwSkip next section LATEST PICTURES: Venezuela grapples with destruction after twin quakes06/25/2026June 25, 2026
LATEST PICTURES: Venezuela grapples with destruction after twin quakes
https://p.dw.com/p/5G5IYSkip next section President of Venezuela’s National Assembly says death toll now stands at 18806/25/2026June 25, 2026
President of Venezuela’s National Assembly says death toll now stands at 188
The president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, said the death toll from the twin quakes now stands at 188, with over 1,520 others injured due to the catastrophe.
Many more people are feared dead after the disaster, with rescue work underway.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G4q5Skip next section Chilean President Kast calls Rodriguez, says rescuers en route06/25/2026June 25, 2026
Chilean President Kast calls Rodriguez, says rescuers en route
Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast said he had spoken to Venezuela’s Acting Presdient Delcy Rodriguez “to convey to her Chile‘s solidarity in the difficult times facing the Venezuelan people.”
He pledged aid and personnel to assist in rescue efforts.
“We are managing the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid and the deployment of rescue teams to address the earthquake emergency,” Kast wrote.
Kast’s right-wing government and its predecessors had very strained ties to the administration of former President Nicolas Maduro in recent years.
Like much of the West, Chile did not recognize Maduro as the rightful winner of 2024’s presidential elections. Both countries closed their respective embassies thereafter.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G4RQSkip next section UN relief chief praises offers of help, says ‘massive collective effort’ needed06/25/2026June 25, 2026
UN relief chief praises offers of help, says ‘massive collective effort’ needed
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher says aid workers are “fully mobilized to support the people of Venezuela following the deadly and devastating earthquakes.”
Fletcher published a statement saying he was in constant contact with a UN team in Caracas, who in turn were coordinating with Venezuela’s interim administration.
He said the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was coordinating the deployment of urban search and rescue teams from various countries offering help.
“The solidarity and practical offers from the region and beyond are superb,” Fletcher said. “The coming days will require a massive collective effort to support the Government-led response and help communities.”
Fletcher noted how even before Wednesday’s quake, 8 million people in Venezuela were in need of humanitarian support, a situation that was now only likely to deteriorate.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G4K8Skip next section Major petrochemical plant near epicenters restarting, firefighters say06/25/2026June 25, 2026
Major petrochemical plant near epicenters restarting, firefighters say
The Moron Petrochemical Complex, Venezuela’s second-largest operational facility of its kind, was restarting on Thursday after a preventive shutdown in response to Wednesday’s quakes.
The chief of firefighters in the area said that work was restarting at the facility, which sustained infrastructure damages during the quake.
Workers had been told not to come while an initial assessment on damages was conducted, Reuters reported citing sources from the center. It reported that they had detected a leak from a storage tank on Wednesday.
Moron is situated not far east of the quakes’ epicenters, just west of the port city of Puerto Cabello.
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