Venezuela earthquake: Aid ramps up as rescue window closes

Venezuela earthquake: Aid ramps up as rescue window closes June 29, 2026What you need to know - Death toll climbs to 1,450 and many thousands are reported missing - Rescuers say window for finding survivors is closing - EU, China announce additional emergency aid Read below for the latest headlines on the ongoing earthquake response in Venezuela: Rescuers race against time to find remaining survivors Rescue teams in Venezuela are racing against time to find remaining survivors as well as victims, more than four days after the twin earthquakes struck. The official death toll climbed to 1,450 over the weekend. On Sunday, interim president Delcy Rodriguez said, "We have recovered people alive and, therefore, operations are not being suspended. We always maintain hope." But the chances of finding survivors become slimmer with each passing day. "There exists a window of roughly three days, 72 hours, where the probability afterwards decreases that you can save people alive," Sebastian Eugster, the leader of the 80-member Swiss rescue team, told Reuters. The Venezuelan government said hundreds of people remaining missing or trapped under rubble. Meanwhile, a website promoted by the country's opposition lists around 50,000 still unaccounted for. More emergency aid announced for Venezuela With some 12,700 people displaced and more than 770 buildings collapsed, efforts are underway to provide support to those in need. China announced a fresh package of humanitarian aid for Venezuela on Monday. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was donating emergency supplies worth 100 million yuan (€12.9 million; $14.7 million) to Venezuela. The announcement comes after the European Union said on Sunday it would provide further aid and technical support. "The EU has already mobilized €5 million in emergency assistance for affected communities," the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on X. "The EU’s Copernicus satellite system is supporting emergency responders by helping to map the damage and target assistance where it is needed most," she added. Dozens of countries have announced aid in the days following the quake. Over the weekend, US officials hinted that millions more in assistance could be announced in the coming days on top of the $150 million that has already been committed by the Trump administration. Welcome to our coverage Welcome to our coverage of the Venezuelan earthquake response, after 7.2 and 7.5 quakes struck the South American nation last week. Emergency crews continued working to find survivors over the weekend, but the window for rescues is quickly closing. The focus is also shifting to providing emergency aid to more than 12,000 people who have been displaced. Follow DW for the latest updates.