Venezuela Quake Death Toll Nears 1,500 As Rescuers Continue Search

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

CARACAS (Worthy News) – Residents of Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, awoke Monday to a fresh aftershock as rescuers raced to find survivors four days after twin earthquakes devastated parts of the country, killing nearly 1,500 people and injuring more than 3,000.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said a magnitude-4.6 aftershock struck north of Caracas at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). Authorities reported no immediate damage.

Rescue efforts remained concentrated in the coastal state of La Guaira, where Wednesday’s magnitude-7.5 and 7.2 earthquakes destroyed hundreds of buildings. Thousands remained displaced as families of the missing clung to hope that their loved ones would still be found alive.

Among those rescued was 21-year-old Aaron Levi, who was pulled from the rubble after spending 106 hours trapped beneath a collapsed building. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez said the rescue operation itself lasted 43 hours.

INTERNATIONAL RELIEF

Authorities said 24 countries have dispatched more than 500 metric tons of relief supplies, over 2,700 rescue and support personnel, and about 86 search-and-rescue dog teams to assist Venezuela.

Late Sunday, the crisis deepened when an explosion at a rig operated by state oil company PDVSA in Apure state injured at least eight workers. They were transported to neighboring Colombia for medical treatment.

Civil engineers warned that decades of weak enforcement of building regulations, poor construction quality, and unstable coastal soils likely contributed to the scale of the destruction, particularly in La Guaira. They urged authorities to begin immediate structural inspections of surviving buildings to prevent further loss of life.

The earthquakes have further strained Venezuela’s fragile healthcare system and infrastructure, compounding years of political turmoil, economic collapse, and humanitarian hardship.

DIPLOMATIC THAW

Yet amid the devastation, the disaster also brought together former political rivals.

Despite years of strained relations, El Salvador was among the first nations to offer assistance to Venezuela. President Nayib Bukele has long been a vocal critic of Venezuela’s socialist leadership, while officials in Caracas have frequently condemned Bukele’s security policies and political agenda.

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez welcomed El Salvador’s offer, calling solidarity between the two nations “an invaluable force” in a time of crisis.

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