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Earthquakes Kill 5,069 in Venezuela, Displace More Than 20,000
Two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela on 24 June. The death toll stands at 5,069 with more than 20,000 displaced and hundreds of buildings damaged.
Jul 18, 11:43 AM·1m read4 sources
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Two earthquakes struck Venezuela on 24 June, killing 5,069 people and injuring 16,740 others. The quakes measured 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude and hit within 39 seconds of each other. More than 1,300 aftershocks have followed.
The northern coastal state of La Guaira suffered the heaviest damage. The Venezuelan government reported that 856 buildings were damaged and 190 collapsed completely. Hundreds of additional structures, including bridges and roads, were affected.
More than 20,000 people have been displaced. Many now live in overcrowded temporary camps. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez described the disaster as the “most brutal natural catastrophe” in Venezuela’s history.
International rescue teams joined thousands of Venezuelan emergency workers in search efforts. Venezuela secured $346 million in previously frozen resources from the International Monetary Fund for reconstruction. The IMF and World Bank announced in April that they were resuming relations with Venezuela after a freeze that began in 2019.
The United States has provided more than $300 million in humanitarian assistance. Euronews reported that aid organisations have warned some shelters lack reliable supplies of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation, increasing the risk of disease.
