MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuela earthquake death toll rises to 3,535 as international teams withdraw

A wide discrepancy persists over the number of missing people

The twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24 have left at least 3,535 people dead and 16,740 injured, according to the latest report released on Monday by the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez. The death toll rose by 193 from Sunday's figure, while the number of injured remained unchanged. Authorities present the data as provisional and subject to revision.

Rodríguez, brother of acting president Delcy Rodríguez, said 6,462 people have been rescued — a figure unchanged since Thursday — and that 17,854 lost their homes, prompting the setup of 82 temporary camps. The count of damaged buildings stands at 856, with 190 collapsed. Official data indicate that 86,794 families have received aid and 9,603 tons of food have been distributed, with 29,567 military and security personnel deployed alongside 27,930 registered volunteers.

Indicator	July 6	Previous report (Jul 4)
Dead	3,535	2,954
Injured	16,740	16,592
Displaced	17,854	16,309
Buildings collapsed	190	190

A wide discrepancy persists over the number of missing people. Authorities have not updated that figure since June 25, when they put it at 157, despite setting up a phone line and a digital platform for reports. In parallel, the citizen-led initiative 'Desaparecidos Terremoto Venezuela' has registered more than 30,000 people whom relatives have been unable to reach. Independent verification of the figures remains limited by access restrictions in the worst-hit areas.

The twin quakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, are the deadliest Venezuela has experienced in the past century. They affected Caracas and six other northern states, with La Guaira the hardest hit; the coastal area had already suffered a mudslide that killed thousands in 1999. Twelve days on, much of the international rescue contingent has withdrawn, and Venezuelan volunteers, firefighters, civil defense and residents remain at the collapsed buildings, still clearing debris in a phase shifting from rescue to rubble removal.