The number of people killed by the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week has increased to 1,430, according to the President of the country’s National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez.
Rodríguez said on Saturday that 3,238 people had sustained injuries, while 3,142 families had been left homeless as a result of the disaster. He also revealed that authorities had recorded at least 430 aftershocks since the powerful earthquakes struck on Wednesday.
The twin tremors, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, caused widespread destruction across the coastal region of La Guaira, leaving buildings flattened and communities devastated.
Rescue efforts remain difficult in several affected areas, with limited emergency personnel forcing residents to search for survivors using their bare hands. Humanitarian organisations have warned that chances of finding more people alive are rapidly fading as the critical rescue period passes.
Meanwhile, the United States said it is working closely with Venezuela’s interim authorities to coordinate relief operations. A senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration said cooperation between both sides has improved efforts to deliver aid and restore logistics.
According to the official, one runway at Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas has resumed operations, allowing more humanitarian flights to land, while a second runway remains unusable because of severe structural damage.
The official added that mobile hospitals, additional Starlink communication terminals and more emergency supplies were being deployed to support relief operations. Two American search-and-rescue teams, each made up of about 80 personnel, have also assisted in locating survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
Responding to concerns about delays in reaching some of the worst-hit communities, the official attributed the challenge mainly to congestion at the airport, where multiple international aid missions have been competing for limited landing and ground support facilities.
The United States also confirmed that the USS Fort Lauderdale has been positioned offshore to provide medical care, coordinate logistics and support airlift operations as international relief efforts continue.
