Security Camera Footage Shows Critical Moments as Earthquake Kills Victims and Collapses a Building
Security camera footage, shared by a TikTok social media page, shows the exact moment a powerful earthquake struck the La Guaira region in Venezuela. In the recordings, people can be seen running in desperation as the ground shakes, cracks open up in buildings, and a building collapses within seconds, raising a dense cloud of dust that filled the streets in an instant.
The disaster began on the night of June 24, 2026, when a strong magnitude 7.1 tremor struck central Venezuela, with an epicenter near the coastal city of La Guaira. Shortly after, an even more intense aftershock, magnitude 7.5, shook the area again, worsening the damage already caused by the first quake.
In addition to La Guaira, the capital Caracas was also heavily hit, with residential buildings, shopping centers, hospitals, and even Simón BolÃvar International Airport in MaiquetÃa sustaining significant damage. At the airport, passengers and staff ran in panic during the tremors.
According to the latest reports from Venezuelan authorities, the death toll has already surpassed 2,500, while the injured number more than 11,000. An official count released on July 1 put the toll at 2,295 dead and 11,267 injured, a number that, according to more recent updates, has already exceeded 2,595 confirmed deaths.
Victim Count
In addition, more than 15,000 people have been displaced, and hundreds of buildings have been damaged or have completely collapsed. Estimates indicate that more than 22,000 people have received care through the hospital network, in field hospitals, and at triage stations set up in the hardest-hit areas.
Search and rescue operations are still ongoing, more than a week after the tragedy, with international teams from at least 17 countries assisting local efforts. Rescue teams from Mexico, El Salvador, Chile, Switzerland, France, Jordan, Ecuador, and the United States, among others, have joined Venezuelan crews in the effort to locate survivors and recover bodies from the rubble. The work is extremely delicate, as the risk of further collapses remains high during debris removal, especially in buildings that suffered severe structural damage but did not fully collapse.
Among the most striking rescue episodes is that of a man who was trapped under the rubble of a building for several days, receiving water and basic supplies while rescue teams worked carefully to extract him safely. Similar cases repeated throughout the week: one of the longest operations lasted more than 40 hours before a survivor was pulled out alive, more than four days after the earthquake. Other rescues, however, had more tragic outcomes, with teams having to suspend searches after dozens of hours with no signs of life.
The impact of the tragedy has reopened old wounds in the region, which was already marked by another natural disaster decades earlier, when heavy rains caused devastating landslides along the same coastline.
Beyond the human toll, the earthquake also disrupted essential services such as electricity, water, and gas in various parts of Greater Caracas, leading residents to spend nights in parking lots and open areas out of fear of further aftershocks.
The Venezuelan government announced the creation of reconstruction funds, including international resources, aimed at recovering infrastructure, hospitals, and housing affected, as well as a specific fund for direct support to victims and displaced families. International organizations have also been helping by sending food, debris-removal tools, and personal hygiene items to the hardest-hit areas.
The information presented was originally released by Portuguese TV network RTP and republished by Planalto Central News.