World
Thousands feared dead as twin earthquakes devastate Venezuela
Powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, killing at least 32 people and injuring at least 700, the nation’s acting president said, as communities across the South American country sustained damage.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez warned the toll was expected to rise as rescuers search collapsed buildings and emergency crews reach devastated areas hit by 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck shortly after 6 p.m.
The US Geological Survey, using predictive modeling, said the death toll would most likely run into the thousands, with a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000.
Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation late Wednesday and said the quakes caused damage in several states. The casualty figures released early Thursday excluded the state of La Guaira, which Rodríguez described as a “disaster zone” and the area hardest hit.
“Dozens of buildings have collapsed there, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Caracas, and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” she said.
The earthquakes, among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century, roiled the region, with buildings evacuated in cities and areas impacted as far as Brazil’s Amazon about 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) from Venezuela’s capital Caracas.
The earthquakes damaged and closed Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas, the country’s main airport, Rodríguez said, adding that subway and natural gas services in Caracas were canceled. She urged Venezuelans to report any damages through a government app.
Rodríguez said school classes would be canceled for several days. The Ministry of Education said some school buildings would be used as shelters and donation centers.
“We urge our population to remain calm,” said Rodríguez, who asked health care professionals to report to hospitals to assist the injured. “We urge unity.”
Utter devastation seen across the Northern Venezuelan coastal city of La Guaira, following tonight’s pair of major earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude with an epicenter just to the west of Caracas. pic.twitter.com/BQv4YixUiB
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 25, 2026
The USGS initially said the first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1, later revising that to 7.2. Its epicenter was west of Morón on the country’s Caribbean coast about 168 kilometers (104 miles) west of Caracas. The quake had a depth of 22 kilometers (13.6 miles).
The USGS reported an even larger 7.5 magnitude earthquake just a minute later. The second quake had a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) with an epicenter 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Morón.
In the coastal state of Falcon, Gov. Víctor Clark said 32 people had been hospitalized and there were 15 people trapped in the hours after the earthquake.
An AFP journalist saw a 22-story building completely destroyed in Caracas’s Altamira neighborhood, where people cried out relatives’ names as volunteers climbed over the rubble.
“We need flashlights,” one of them said.
Video footage showed emergency workers scrambling over the pancaked debris of a collapsed building in the capital as night fell, while distraught relatives sought help for loved ones believed to be trapped. Several dazed survivors were taken away, some on stretchers.
“When we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie,” said Maria Alejandra, a resident from a nearby building, who did not give her surname.
“We had to climb over the rubble and everything. The building superintendent with the baby and all the neighbors coming down. But from that building, I only saw that one family got out.”
At Caracas’s Hospital de Clinicas, staff were asked to double up on the night shift to help treat the injured, a worker there said. Classes were canceled for the rest of the week as authorities began to take stock of the damage.
International assistance offered
Offers of help were made by various governments including the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay.
US Secretary of State Rubio said in a post on X early Thursday that the United States is “immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.”
US President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that “the two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths.”
The US “stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly,” Trump wrote on social media.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 25, 2026
Jeremy P. Lewin, the US undersecretary of state for foreign assistance, said the State Department had mobilized a disaster assistance team and task force to coordinate aid in coordination with the interim Venezuelan government.
Rodríguez said Thursday that Qatar had already sent rescuers who were expected in Venezuela the next day, along with rescue personnel from Mexico and El Salvador.
Israel’s ZAKA emergency response organization said its teams in the US, Mexico and Israel were making preparations for possibly being sent to help local authorities rescue people from the rubble. ZAKA said in a statement that as of Thursday morning, it hadn’t received information of casualties among the country’s small Jewish community, but it was in contact with local community leaders and other officials.
Fellow rescue organization IsraAid said it was “urgently responding” to the unfolding disaster, promising more updates as the situation develops.
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, once diametrically opposed to Venezuela’s government, said in a post on X Wednesday night that he had offered aid.
“We send you all our solidarity and our prayers. Stay strong, Venezuela,” Bukele wrote.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said he had ordered the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to help respond to the emergency.
“Ecuador will respond with the speed and commitment this moment demands because, despite our enormous differences, humanity must always guide the actions of a leader,” Noboa wrote.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, who less than a week ago declared a state of emergency in his country following weeks of anti-government protests, said his country stood ready to provide any needed assistance.
The administration of Brazil President Luiz Inácio da Silva expressed solidarity and said no Brazilians reported being injured.
‘We all had to leave our houses’
Television broadcasts Thursday showed images of rescue workers using power tools on collapsed structures.
During the quakes, people evacuated swaying buildings in Caracas, many visibly shocked as they saw collapsed walls that left furniture visible from the street. Dust columns could be seen in two capital neighborhoods with typically busy restaurants and other businesses.
People remained on the streets for hours, some sitting on the ground hugging pets as dust gathered around them. Collapsed buildings, toppled electric poles and debris blocked streets. Parts of the capital lost power and cellphone signal.
“It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together,” Caracas resident Hector Ricci said.
Roberto Gamas, another Caracas resident, said the building he was in “really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong.”
The lack of cellphone signal in parts of Venezuela deepened the distress of many families, particularly those among the more than 7.7 million people who have left the country during its protracted crisis.
Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado, in exile after leaving Venezuela in December, took to X to send prayers and wish strength to Venezuelans.
“May strength, serenity, and solidarity prevail among us in the face of this difficult time,” she said on X.
Impact felt throughout Venezuela, region
Venezuela Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the quake could be felt in several states and asked motorists to give way to ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
“We understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to protocols to activate aid and rescue efforts to help those who need it most,” Cabello said, urging people to remain outside as aftershocks could further damage structures. “Be very careful with children and the elderly. Call each other and check that no one has been harmed.”
The moment a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Caracas, Venezuela, causing swimming pool water to flow down from a high-rise building. pic.twitter.com/86yLolDeTX
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) June 24, 2026
Buildings in Manaus, Belem and Macapá in Brazil’s Amazon were evacuated, according to reports on TV Globo. The quakes also were felt in Colombia’s Caribbean and northeast regions, but there were no reports of damages or injuries.
The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued several tsunami alerts in the wake of the earthquakes that were quickly lifted.
Strong earthquakes are unusual in Venezuela. While the country sits near multiple fault lines, its position straddling the South American and Caribbean plates make earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America.
Earthquakes are frequent along the Pacific coast, including in Mexico and Chile, which both sit along the seismically active tectonic belt known as the Ring of Fire, an area that the USGS said is responsible for 90 percent of earthquakes.
