Death Toll Surpasses 1,400, nearly 70,000 Remain Missing Following Twin Venezuela Earthquakes
A catastrophic twin earthquake in Venezuela last week has taken the lives of 1,430 people, with at least 68,900 people missing, and the numbers are expected to rise.
The recent death toll was confirmed by Jorge Rodríguez, leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly and the brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, on Saturday, The Christian Post reported.
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration warned that more than 6 million people could be affected by the twin earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, that struck Venezuela on June 24, 2026.
Using satellite mapping, IOM mapping analysis showed that 31.5 percent of buildings in Catia La Mar were damaged.
There were also a number of miracle rescues that took place following the quakes, including a newborn baby rescued with his mother from the rubble of a collapsed building in La Guaira 32 hours following the disaster, according to Sky News. Both mother and baby were taken to a hospital in Caracas and were reported to be in stable condition.
El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele announced Monday morning that rescuers from his country, as well as rescuers from Venezuela, Mexico, found a 21-year-old man, Aaron Levi Cantillo Vargas, whose name is still alive under rubble.
“Aaron is already receiving specialized medical attention,” Bukele wrote. “Thank you, God, for allowing this miracle.”
“We continue working with the hope of being able to save more lives.”
A Venezuelan woman who was rescued after being trapped under rubble described the experience as being “reborn.”
"I knocked on the stones with a piece of metal," the woman, Belkys Josefina Barreta Garcia, told journalist Alejandra Oraa. "Everything was black.”
"I came out on my back, I came out little by little with great difficulty, just like a baby being born,” she added. "I saw the light, I literally saw the light."
On Monday, a 4.6-magnitude aftershock struck near the capital city of Caracas, but no damage had been reported.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Stockbyte
Originally published June 30, 2026.
