Venezuela Twin Earthquakes:50,000 Reported Missing, 235 Confirmed Dead

Around 50,000 people have been reported missing in Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck the country just seconds apart overnight on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.

Data from the missing persons platform, Desaparecidos Terremoto Venezuela, indicated that more than 57,000 individuals were initially reported missing as of Friday, June 26. While more than 7,800 people have since been located, just under 50,000 residents remain unaccounted for. The back-to-back earthquakes registered magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, with officials noting that the second quake could be the largest to hit the South American country in more than a century.

Venezuela’s Minister of Health, Carlos Alvarado, confirmed that at least 235 people have died, with the coastal state of La Guaira being the hardest-hit region. Given the high number of missing persons, authorities expect the death toll to rise. Alvarado stated that more than 5,000 healthcare professionals have been deployed to support ongoing search and rescue efforts, and medical teams have already treated more than 4,400 injured citizens.

The President of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, also disclosed that at least 200 people are currently confirmed trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

The disaster has caused widespread disruption, including damage to the Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas, and forced building evacuations as far away as neighbouring Brazil.