Venezuela earthquake death toll nears 3,000 as rescue operations wind down

International teams are scaling back search efforts as the confirmed fatalities from the twin seismic events approach 3,000, with tens of thousands still missing.

By Handelsavisen Newsroom · Automated 2026-07-05 15:14 UTC · 1 min read

The confirmed death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week has risen to nearly 3,000, according to the latest reports from the region.

International rescue teams have begun scaling back their search operations, signaling a grim transition from active recovery to long-term relief efforts.

Tens of thousands of people remain missing, complicating the humanitarian response in the devastated coastal areas.

The seismic events, which hit on Wednesday, have caused widespread destruction across the country.

Earlier estimates placed the death toll at 2,295 with more than 11,000 injured, but the figure has climbed sharply as rescue workers access previously unreachable zones.

Venezuela’s parliamentary speaker, Jorge Rodriguez, has been central to coordinating the government’s response, though the scale of the disaster continues to outpace initial assessments.