As Venezuela Death Toll Rises, Survivor Recounts Days Beneath the Rubble
Global news from Venezuela: The death toll from the twin earthquakes that devastated the country's coast has risen to 2,954, as survivors recount days trapped in the rubble.
Global news from Venezuela: The death toll from the twin earthquakes that devastated the country's coast has risen to 2,954, as survivors like Juan Zapata recount spending two days and seven hours trapped in the rubble.
"When they were rescuing me I said, 'I'm on the fifth floor' and they told me, 'no, you're in the lower basement,'" Zapata recalled from a field hospital, recovering from fractured ribs and severe injuries.
More than 16,000 people are now homeless, and an unofficial tally of the missing stands at over 41,000. The breaking news comes as civilian rescue teams, frustrated with the government's slow and ineffectual response, continue to dig through the debris of destroyed buildings.
International aid has begun to arrive, but many families are left to search for their missing loved ones without proper equipment.
--- Related Stories: WORLD | AMERICAS | BREAKING NEWS | GLOBAL NEWS Tags: world, americas, breaking-news, global-news, venezuela-earthquake Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, AFP. Updated on July 05, 2026.