Death Toll From Venezuela Twin Earthquakes Climbs to 2,595 as Rescue Mission Shifts to Recovery

The death toll from the devastating twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 2,595, as authorities increasingly shift their focus from rescuing survivors to recovering bodies from the rubble.

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez announced on Thursday that 189 buildings were completely destroyed, while more than 11,000 people were injured in the disaster, which heavily affected the coastal state of La Guaira. Thousands of people are still reported missing.

Rodríguez said the government has no plans to use mass graves despite the growing number of fatalities.

International support has continued to increase, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank offering financial assistance for reconstruction. Venezuela is also establishing a $200 million reconstruction fund to help rebuild homes and infrastructure damaged by the earthquakes.

The United States has pledged more than $300 million in humanitarian aid and deployed about 900 military personnel to assist with rescue and relief operations. The funding will support emergency shelter, healthcare, sanitation, and energy services.

Nearly eight days after the disaster, hopes of finding more survivors are fading. However, rescue workers celebrated a rare success after 43-year-old Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was pulled alive from the rubble of a collapsed shopping mall, where he had survived for almost eight days inside an air pocket.

Health officials have warned that overcrowded shelters and untreated injuries could increase the risk of disease outbreaks as thousands of displaced families remain in temporary camps.

The government's handling of the disaster has come under criticism, but Rodríguez insisted authorities responded immediately and rejected claims that residents were left to conduct rescue operations on their own.

The tragedy also claimed the lives of dozens of Venezuelans who had been deported from the United States just hours before the earthquakes struck. Many were staying in a hotel in La Guaira that collapsed during the disaster.

Human rights groups have called for transparency in the management of reconstruction funds to ensure aid reaches those most affected.

As recovery efforts continue, officials say the final death toll may rise further as rescue teams search through the ruins of Venezuela's deadliest natural disaster in decades.

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