Twin earthquakes in Venezuela leave 235 dead, neighboring countries rush aid

International rescue teams have joined urgent searches for survivors in Venezuela after two devastating earthquakes struck on June 25, as many remain trapped under collapsed buildings. As of June 27, at least 235 people had died, according to updated official figures.

Several American nations including Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Cuba, the United States, and the United Nations have deployed search-and-rescue teams and humanitarian aid to Venezuela following the disaster. The two quakes—measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude—are among the strongest to hit Venezuela in over a century and were felt across the region.

Besides 235 fatalities, 4,300 people have been injured, with hospitals "full of patients," Health Minister Carlos Alvarado reported. Hundreds more are believed to be still trapped under debris.

The hardest-hit area is the coastal state of La Guaira, north of the capital Caracas. More than 100 buildings there have collapsed, affecting at least 70,000 families, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced. Venezuela's main international airport, located in the region, has also been closed due to damage.

In La Guaira city, volunteers are digging through rubble with bare hands as residents await news of missing relatives. On the highway connecting Caracas to La Guaira, a stream of people carrying water, food, and medicine heads toward the coast, supplementing initial relief efforts overwhelmed by the disaster's scale.

"We lost everything. There is no food or medicine… We hope help arrives soon," said Pedro Perez, 64, an upholstery shop owner. He said he lost both his home and business and now sleeps on the street with his wife and children.

Scenes of panic and devastation also unfolded in Caracas, where many people slept on streets or in cars fearing building collapses. "People are afraid to go back home… They are very anxious about structural damage," Al Jazeera correspondent Maria Emilia Miro Quesada reported from Caracas.

The United States, which previously conducted a military campaign in January to oust President Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela, has pledged a "whole-of-government" response including deployment of naval ships, transport aircraft, helicopters, and $150 million in aid. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the response would be "big, fast, and effective."

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced sending a field hospital along with dozens of firefighters and support staff. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has readied 300 rescue personnel, 50 tons of equipment, medicine, and supplies. Cuba has already deployed medical staff to serve disaster victims, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez announced.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country is dispatching a military rescue and medical team, ready to send more if needed. Colombia, itself affected by the earthquakes, will send over 60 rescue workers and 12 tons of relief supplies to its neighbor, the disaster management agency said.

"Undoubtedly, this international effort from across the Americas will be crucial, not only for rescuing people but also for meeting the needs of many injured," said Al Jazeera correspondent Alessandro Rampietti from Bogota, Colombia. Offers of support also came from Europe, China, India, and Iran.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has released $2.5 million for recovery efforts. Pope Leo XIV sent an initial emergency aid of €100,000 ($114,000), the Vatican announced.

Correspondent Rampietti noted that Venezuela's recovery is hampered by years of economic decline and strained infrastructure. "Venezuela was already in a very difficult situation before the earthquake," with frequent power outages and "chaotic" public services, he said. "Many hospitals were already operating below capacity… They simply do not have enough engineers and doctors needed."