At least six people are missing and more than 150 homes have been damaged following heavy rains that struck Caracas and two other Venezuelan states, causing rivers to overflow and triggering widespread flooding, authorities reported.
In the capital city, a mother and her son were swept away by the current of an overflowing river and remain missing, Vice Minister of Risk Management and Civil Protection Juan Oti stated on Sunday.
Search and rescue teams are also looking for a couple who was traveling with their daughter in a vehicle that fell off a hillside in the Guaicaipuro municipality of Miranda state, just north of Caracas. The child was rescued and transported to a hospital, according to local Mayor Farith Fraija.
In a telephone interview with state broadcaster VTV, Fraija specified that at least 156 homes were damaged in the municipality, suffering wall collapses or masonry damage, while two homes completely collapsed in the El Prado sector. He added that residents in another Guaicaipuro community experienced significant losses of personal property.
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Search operations also continue for two individuals who were in a vehicle swept away by a strong river current in the José Félix Ribas municipality of Aragua state, local Mayor Juan Sánchez confirmed.
Acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez announced on Saturday the activation of the Civil Protection system due to severe rainfall that caused widespread damage across Caracas and neighboring Miranda state. In an audio message shared on Telegram, Rodríguez noted that the precipitation caused significant damage in several areas of the capital and emphasized that authorities remain on alert.
Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez reported the deployment of specialized response teams to critical areas of the city, urging residents to exercise caution. Writing on social media platform X, Meléndez stated that teams are monitoring every parish in real time to clear roadways and address overflowing tributaries and fallen vegetation.
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles criticized the lack of infrastructure maintenance, stating that every emergency highlights the country’s broader infrastructure challenges.
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The recent flooding follows an incident last week in which two children died in the La Vega parish in western Caracas after being carried away by floodwaters. Firefighters also ordered the preventive evacuation of 12 families in the northern parish of La Pastora due to structural risks to homes built on steep terrain.
