La Guaira "A Disaster Zone": Venezuela's Coast Bears the Brunt of Twin Quakes

People walk past a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 25, 2026. Powerful twin earthquakes have killed 32 people and injured more than 700, the nation's interim president said on June 25, after the massive shocks collapsed entire buildings and sent people running in panic. (Credit: Photo by Manaure QUINTERO / AFP via Getty Images)

A day after twin earthquakes tore through northern Venezuela, the human cost is coming into sharper focus: at least 164 people are confirmed dead and 971 injured, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said early Thursday. Officials stressed those numbers will climb as crews reach more flattened buildings — and they do not yet account for the coastal state hit hardest of all.

The two shocks, measured by the USGS at magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 (some outlets logged the first at 7.1), struck 39 seconds apart on Wednesday evening near the Yaracuy coast, roughly 100 miles west of Caracas. They rank among the strongest to hit the country in over a century.

Where the damage is worst

Rodríguez singled out the state of La Guaira, north of the capital, calling it a "true tragedy" and a "disaster zone" whose casualties were not even folded into the national tally yet, NBC reports. In Caracas, the affluent eastern districts around Altamira saw partial collapses, and in the Chacao municipality two structures came down with at least 16 hurt. Residents in Valencia, west of the capital, described walls splitting open, while footage verified by broadcasters showed a building giving way in El Junquito. Damage was also reported in Falcón state and at sites across several other states

TOPSHOT - Rescuers search for victims in a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the same area of Venezuela on the evening of June 24, causing buildings to collapse, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and AFP journalists. The quakes drove residents of the capital, Caracas, into the streets. (Credit: Photo by Manaure Quintero / AFP via Getty Images)

A woman gestures for help atop a damaged apartment building following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, some 30km north-west of Caracas, on June 25, 2026. A twin earthquake that was Venezuela's largest in over a century has killed at least 164 people and destroyed multiple buildings near the capital, where residents searched on June 25 for missing relatives. (Credit: Photo by Federico PARRA / AFP via Getty Images)

How many buildings fell

No comprehensive count of collapsed structures has been released, a gap worsened by patchy communications — connectivity sat near 77% of normal Thursday morning, down from a low of 59% right after the quakes, per NetBlocks data cited by CNN. What is confirmed: multiple residential buildings down in Caracas and La Guaira, blocked roads, downed power lines, and heavy damage to Simón Bolívar International Airport, which remains shut. The USGS projected the disaster could shave up to 7% off Venezuela's GDP, CNBC reports.

Rodríguez reported dozens of aftershocks — more than 30 in one update and over 100 by a later count — which is why authorities keep urging people to stay clear of cracked structures. The USGS issued back-to-back "red alerts" through its PAGER system; as a statistical model rather than a body count, it put the odds of the eventual toll topping 10,000 at around 41–44%, with a smaller chance of reaching 100,000.

People gather outside damaged homes following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, some 30km north-west of Caracas, on June 25, 2026. A twin earthquake that was Venezuela's largest in over a century has killed at least 164 people and destroyed multiple buildings near the capital, where residents searched on June 25 for missing relatives. (Credit: Photo by Federico PARRA / AFP via Getty Images)

Relief on the ground and who's pledging help

Rodríguez declared a state of emergency, suspended trains, closed schools for days, and ordered every available health worker to hospitals. The Venezuelan Red Cross is digging through rubble even though its national headquarters sustained critical damage, and says the near-term focus is shelter, medical care and clean water. The UN is dispatching specialized personnel.

Aid offers arrived within hours. President Donald Trump said the U.S. stood "ready, willing, and able to help," and Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed search-and-rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian supplies were deploying. Beyond Washington, commitments from a long list of governments: El Salvador (300 rescuers and 50 tons of supplies), the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Qatar (rescue brigades), Spain (54 military personnel), Switzerland (80 rescuers and eight dogs), Germany (up to six transport aircraft), Italy (fire-brigade teams and aircraft), plus China, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador and Caribbean neighbors. The EU activated its Copernicus satellite system. Chef José Andrés said his World Central Kitchen would immediately give $1 million and was already mobilizing meals.

The quakes landed on a national holiday marking the 1821 Battle of Carabobo, so many residents were home when the shaking began — a grim coincidence in a country where nearly 8 million of 28 million people already needed humanitarian assistance before the ground moved.

WHERE TO DONATE

A few vetted organizations are responding directly or have long-standing operations in Venezuela. Always give through an official site and treat unsolicited social-media appeals with caution.

• Direct Relief — mobilizing emergency medicines, wound-care and surgical supplies for Venezuelan health providers.
• World Vision – Venezuela Relief Fund — active in the country since 2019; food, water, child protection.
• UN Crisis Relief – Venezuela — channels funds to UN-coordinated humanitarian partners.
• Global Empowerment Mission — emergency-response teams deploying with local partner I Love Venezuela.
• CharityWatch — not a charity itself, but a free tool to verify a group's rating before you give.

A quick safety note worth running with the piece: after high-profile disasters, fraudulent appeals spike. Donating cash to established charities (rather than goods or unknown individuals on GoFundMe or Facebook) is both safer and more useful, CharityWatch advises.