1,430 dead. 3,238 injured. 3,142 families displaced. 430 aftershocks recorded. That is Venezuela’s earthquake toll five days after two powerful quakes struck on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of rescue workers are still searching.
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The death toll from the earthquake that struck Venezuela on Wednesday has risen to 1,430. Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced the updated figures on Saturday during a government address on state television.
Rodriguez said 3,238 people have been injured and 3,142 families have been affected by the disaster. He offered condolences on behalf of Venezuelan authorities to the thousands of victims and their families.
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Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday. The first registered a magnitude of 7.2 and the second a magnitude of 7.5. The quakes caused widespread destruction across coastal and mountainous regions, including collapsed buildings and landslides.
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La Guaira, a key port city along the central coast, sustained severe damage and has since been declared a disaster zone by authorities.
Since Wednesday, Venezuela has recorded 430 light to moderate aftershocks, according to Rodriguez. Tens of thousands of people are working around the clock on search and rescue operations, he said.
A magnitude-4.1 earthquake was felt across central Venezuela on Saturday, adding to the anxiety of a population already shaken by Wednesday’s events. The tremor was reported by the Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research, known as Funvisis.
Funvisis said the epicentre of Saturday’s quake was located approximately 35 kilometres west of La Guaira. The agency reported that the quake occurred at a shallow depth of five kilometres. Shallow earthquakes typically amplify ground shaking and increase the potential for structural damage compared to deeper seismic events.
Residents in Caracas and surrounding areas reported feeling Saturday’s tremor. Many rushed out of buildings in fear of further collapse, according to reports from the affected areas.
The reaction reflects the level of fear that has gripped the population since Wednesday. With hundreds of aftershocks already recorded and buildings across the region already structurally compromised, each new tremor has triggered fresh panic among residents.
Officials have been working to coordinate relief efforts across affected coastal and mountainous communities. Rescue teams are continuing to reach areas that sustained damage from Wednesday’s earthquakes.
Rodriguez confirmed that tens of thousands of personnel remain engaged in search and rescue operations. No timeline has been given for when the active search phase will conclude.
The scale of the disaster, with over 1,400 dead, more than 3,200 injured, and thousands of families displaced, has placed significant pressure on Venezuela’s emergency response infrastructure.
Funvisis said it is maintaining round-the-clock seismic surveillance across the region. The agency has called on the public to stay informed through official channels only and to avoid spreading unverified information that could cause further panic.
Seismologists are continuing to monitor the region closely given the high volume of aftershocks recorded since Wednesday and the ongoing risk of further tremors in the coming days.
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