Spain confirms 17 nationals killed in Venezuela earthquakes as official death toll reaches 1,450

Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Sunday that 17 Spanish citizens died as a result of the double earthquake that struck northern Venezuela on 24 June, according to reports based on official information. The same update put the number of Spanish nationals missing at 150 and those located beneath rubble at 12, where rescue teams remain focused in their efforts.

According to the same figures, the aircraft carrying rescue workers coordinated by Civil Protection departed on its return journey to Spain with 29 Spanish citizens on board. Other sources indicate that a military aircraft transported nearly one hundred people of various nationalities — the majority of them Spanish — from the disaster zone to Madrid.

Official figures in Venezuela

The president of Venezuela's National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, announced on Sunday, in an update broadcast on state channel Venezolana de Televisión, that the death toll had risen to 1,450, with 3,150 injured and 12,721 families affected. Rodríguez stated that 774 buildings had been damaged, of which 89 had completely collapsed, according to information reported by Diario de Avisos; figures cited by Infobae reference 189 buildings with total damage and 585 with partial damage.

Among the damage recorded are 44 shopping centres and 38 hospitals. Authorities indicated that 527 injured people had been transferred to hospitals in Caracas and that thousands of medical interventions had been carried out. On international assistance, the same update noted that 2,624 foreign rescue workers are taking part in relief operations.

The parliamentary president also announced the activation of a psychological support helpline — 0800-AYUDA-01 (0800-29832-01) — to assist citizens experiencing anxiety, grief or post-traumatic stress.

Aftershocks and evolving toll

Rodríguez reported that 512 aftershocks had been recorded in the preceding 24 hours. The death toll has continued to rise in the days since: on Monday, according to eldiario.es and La Nación, Venezuelan authorities raised the figure to 1,719 dead and 5,034 injured, with 609 aftershocks counted since the main event. The United Nations estimates the number of missing persons at more than 50,000.

The double earthquake struck on the afternoon of 24 June, with magnitudes of 7,2 and 7,5 just 39 seconds apart, with its epicentre in the state of Yaracuy. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded it as the most powerful earthquake in Venezuela in more than a century. The hardest-hit area is the coastal state of La Guaira, home to Maiquetía International Airport, where the majority of building collapses have been concentrated.

Subsequent updates to the Spanish figures

The Spanish government's figures also changed in the days that followed. According to Estrella Digital, on Monday the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, indicated that the number of missing Spaniards had fallen from 150 to 138, while the death toll of 17 Spanish nationals remained unchanged. By Tuesday, according to Infobae, the Foreign Ministry raised the number of Spanish fatalities first to 18 and then to 19, with missing persons standing at 138.

The Foreign Ministry has emphasised that consular emergency lines remain open, with the following numbers available to Spanish nationals in Venezuela and their families: +34 910001249; +58 424 2090264; +58 212 6270300; and +58 212 6270314. The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) has kept its emergency response active, with the planned deployment of the 'Start' team and a field hospital.

Among the Spanish victims is Olga Morales, the daughter of Canarian emigrants who maintained close ties to La Gomera, where she owned a home and where a sister lives, according to Telecinco, citing El Día.