On the evening of 24 June 2026, two major earthquakes measuring 7.2 Mw (foreshock) and 7.5 Mw (mainshock) struck northern Venezuela within minutes of each other. The earthquakes caused widespread damage across Caracas and other parts of the country, including the coastal state of La Guaira, where an estimated 80% of buildings collapsed.
More than 6,000 people have been officially reported dead (with the real number unknown, potentially much higher) and more than 16,700 have been seriously injured. Over 58,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, leaving thousands of people without homes.
The earthquakes have worsened already difficult conditions for many Venezuelans, especially in communities facing poverty and limited access to services. In La Guaira, a favourite beach and recreation spot for residents of the capital, some of the worst damage occurred in social housing projects built on land now known to have higher seismic risk, including zones prone to soil liquefaction.
Thousands of families are now sleeping in parks, plazas and open spaces because their homes have visible cracks or structural damage. More than 600 aftershocks have been recorded so far, and many residents remain afraid to return indoors while assessments continue.
The NDY Charitable Trust donated AU$5,000 to Disaster Aid to support initial rescue and humanitarian efforts in Venezuela.
Proud Venezuelan Victoria Rastelli, acoustic section manager in NDY’s Melbourne office, said the donation meant a great deal to her and her family, as this tragedy has affected the capital city and a sentimental location (La Guaira) causing a deep sadness to both Venezuelans living in the country and the big Venezuelan diaspora all around the world.
‘When Sam Aloi (NDY Charitable Trust Chair) told me the trust committee had made the initial donation I was very emotional. So many of my people have been killed, or seriously injured and things in Venezuela are already very hard for normal people.
‘Homelessness is going to be a long-term problem now. Many of the people who lost their homes were already very poor. The situation is very bad.’
Victoria’s parents still live in Caracas and were safe during the earthquake. She said they continue to send updates and want people to remember the scale of the recovery effort which will take many years. You can help support the ongoing recovery effort by making a donation to:
Devastating earthquakes hit Venezuela | UNICEF
Venezuela Earthquake | Caritas Australia
Fondo humanitario 77 – Fundación CIREC (this is to support people that have lost limbs) a young influencer who lost both limbs in a car accident and promotes help for people in the same condition, joined forces with Fundacion Cirec to help many affected people rescued from the earthquakes.
Photo: ABC News/Screenshot