A week and a half after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, the death toll continues to climb. According to official data, the number of victims now stands at 2,954 as of Saturday. But a local forensic pathologist says the real figure is likely much higher—the condition of the bodies and the difficulty identifying them make accurate counts nearly impossible.
Flash: Venezuela quake death toll rises to 2,954: official data pic.twitter.com/mjZo5ecBJc
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) July 4, 2026
1+“La Guaira is indescribable,” the pathologist said. “There are so many cases, so many families. The earthquakes hit mainly lower socioeconomic families—they are the main victims.” The situation has forced many families to bring their loved ones’ bodies to morgues themselves, she said. “They bring their own dead, because rescue forces, firefighters and even emergency services can’t keep up with the pace of recovering bodies.”
Medical teams are collapsing under the workload, and no forensic identification volunteers have arrived yet, the pathologist added. Families are forced to identify loved ones through tattoos, teeth or clothing—DNA testing is too expensive in the country. “There are so many children arriving in such advanced decomposition that family members won’t be able to identify them,” she said. “I’m not sleeping well. It’s terrible.” Tens of thousands remain listed as missing.
La cantidad de fallecidos tras los dos terremotos registrados en #Venezuela aumentó a 2.954 y los heridos a 16.592, informaron autoridades.
6.462 personas han sido rescatadas tras la tragedia que impactó a los céntricos estados Aragua, Miranda, La Guaira y en el occidente a… pic.twitter.com/EJ3fmxLI04
— David de la Paz 戴维 (@daviddelapaz) July 4, 2026
[caption id="attachment_1606901" align="alignnone" width="2048"]
ZAKA in the rescue efforts in Venezuela | Photo: ZAKA Spokesperson
Israel is among the countries that sent aid teams to Venezuela. Yesterday, Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez praised the Israeli delegation, calling it “a team with very high levels of training and professionalism.”
🚨#ÚltimaHora | La presidenta encargada, Delcy Rodríguez, informó de la presencia de un grupo especializado de Israel en la evaluación y levantamiento de infraestructura afectada.#Globovisión #Nacionales pic.twitter.com/GGpOeSpmEg
— Globovisión (@globovision) July 3, 2026
Rodríguez said the delegation’s arrival was made possible through connections with Venezuela’s Jewish community, and thanked “Rabbi Cohen for all the coordination that allowed us to establish contact with the Israeli government and bring here, at this moment, a team of experts who have begun implementing the protocol to start the infrastructure rehabilitation process and assess the state of infrastructure.”
“The team has already begun implementing the protocol to start the infrastructure rehabilitation process and assess its condition,” she added. The president noted the experts have advanced capabilities that allow them to determine whether there are survivors or voids beneath the rubble before reconstruction work can begin.
1+In closing, the president thanked the Israeli delegation and noted they have already held working meetings with Venezuelan authorities. “This is a team with very high levels of training and professionalism, and I hope we can continue to advance at this stage.”
Baruch Nidam, director of ZAKA’s International Division, said: “The teams of ZAKA’s International Division are deployed around the world and arrive at every disaster zone where assistance is needed. In Venezuela too, division members are working devotedly alongside local emergency forces, out of a commitment to saving lives and helping every person, regardless of religion, nationality or origin.”