Venezuelans search through rubble as earthquake death toll rises
Deadly double earthquakes hit Venezuela03:39June 26, 2026, 5:54 AM EDT / Updated June 26, 2026, 8:46 AM EDTBy Elmira AliievaMassive search and rescue operations were underway in Venezuela on Friday as civilians and emergency workers rushed to find those trapped beneath the rubble more than a day after devastating twin earthquakes killed at least 589 people and wounded thousands.
Television footage showed emergency workers rescuing injured people and animals from collapsed buildings. Many were covered in dust and blood as distraught relatives cried out for loved ones and others frantically searched for survivors.
The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck west of the capital, Caracas, on Wednesday evening less than a minute apart. They were among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, sending tremors across much of the country and neighboring areas.
A senior U.S. Southern Command official arrived in Caracas late Thursday to oversee Washington’s relief efforts.
Marine Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard will work to coordinate the U.S. response, the military said.
President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States was “ready, willing and able to help” Venezuela.
Nelson Ospedales was home in Caracas’ Altamira neighborhood when the quake struck.
“Material possessions can be recovered, but at this moment, the competent authorities — such as firefighters and civil defense — have been completely overwhelmed. They need more personnel,” he told Noticias Telemundo in Spanish. “Hospitals have become severely congested.”
Ospedales’ home partially collapsed and he’s now staying with a relative, he said.
Hospitals had reached capacity by Thursday evening as the country’s health system struggled to cope with the influx of patients, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said on state television.
Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said late Thursday that about 200 people remained trapped beneath collapsed buildings, while around 250 structures had been damaged or destroyed.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency following the quakes, ordering the closure of Caracas’ international airport, suspending metro and rail services in affected areas and shutting schools for the remainder of the week.
Overnight, thousands of people who lost their homes slept outdoors, sheltering in tents or sleeping on benches and makeshift beds after being displaced by the disaster.
As rescue efforts unfolded, the acting president visited the coastal town of Macuto in La Guaira state, one of the areas hit hardest by the earthquakes.
“We are supporting the families, and they have our solidarity. We hope to recover alive as many people as possible,” she said.
The state, which borders Caracas and is home to the capital’s main international airport, saw about 70,000 families affected, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said.
In La Guaira, José Rolón was celebrating his birthday at a pool in his brother’s apartment building when disaster struck.
“I felt the floor start to shake violently. The water in the pool began to churn wildly, like a heavy swell,” Rolón told Noticias Telemundo in Spanish. As everyone inside the pool began to get out, they saw the building next to them collapse.
“It was a moment of shock,” Rolón said, adding that he spent the night sleeping inside his car with his 4-year-old and 2-year-old children.
A website created to help locate missing people listed more than 50,000 as unaccounted for as families searched for loved ones. It reported that 8,000 people have been found so far.
Several countries have also reported citizens among the dead and missing, including Brazil, China, Italy and Spain.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s predictive modeling suggested the number of fatalities could climb to more than 10,000 as rescue crews continue searching through collapsed buildings and piles of rubble for survivors.
Search for survivors underway as twin quakes in Venezuela strain resources02:54Governments and humanitarian organizations around the world mobilized assistance, with emergency supplies and rescue teams arriving from countries across Latin America, Europe and Asia.
The State Department said it was mobilizing $150 million in aid for Venezuela. The aid was going through assistance partners like charity groups and a $100 million contribution to a U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs fund.
The Trump administration also eased sanctions to authorize transactions related to quake relief that would otherwise be prohibited.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington would deploy search and rescue teams, while the Pentagon would provide logistical support and help restore operations at Caracas’ damaged airport.
United Nations’ Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher wrote on social media that search and rescue teams were being deployed from around the world.
“Every hour counts,” he said.
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Elmira AliievaElmira Aliieva is an NBC News intern based in London.
Nicole Acevedo contributed.Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
