Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Surpasses 4,000, Thousands Missing

The number of fatalities from the powerful twin earthquakes in Venezuela has now surpassed 4,000. At least 4,118 people were killed and 16,740 injured in the successive earthquakes on 24 June, which flattened entire districts in the coastal state of La Guaira. This was stated by Venezuelan parliamentary speaker Jorge Rodriguez on Telegram, as reported by AFP news agency on Saturday (11/7/2026). Thousands more are reported missing. In the incident, the stronger 7.5 magnitude quake—Venezuela’s largest in more than a century—struck 39 seconds after the first 7.2 magnitude tremor, reducing entire blocks of high-rise apartment buildings to rubble. Although rescue teams have halted the search for survivors, family members continue to search for their loved ones amongst the ruins, hoping to recover their bodies and provide a proper burial. Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, on Wednesday called for the release of Venezuelan funds frozen abroad to help the country cope with the disaster. She revealed that she had sent a letter to King Charles III of the United Kingdom requesting the release of approximately 30 tonnes of gold reserves frozen due to sanctions imposed by London authorities. Rodriguez, as reported by AFP on Friday (10/7/2026), explained that the gold assets could be used for post-earthquake reconstruction in Venezuela. “I decided to send a letter to the King of England so that the gold held in the Bank of England, the Bank of England, be released,” Rodriguez said during a state television broadcast on Wednesday (8/7) local time. “This gold belongs to our people. We need this gold to address the impact of the earthquake,” she stated. Meanwhile, the United Nations is working to raise US$300 million in recovery funds for Venezuela. The South American country is also negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to unblock its financial assets.