One minute, two monster earthquakes: Venezuela disaster kills 164 — 5 key developments

Venezuela is grappling with its deadliest earthquake disaster in decades after twin powerful earthquakes struck within seconds of each other, flattening buildings around Caracas, killing at least 164 people and leaving hundreds trapped beneath rubble. A quake of magnitude 7.2 hit around 160 km (100 miles) west of Caracas, followed by an even stronger quake less than a minute later, the largest to hit the country in more than a century, news agency Reuters reported, citing the US Geological Survey.

Delcy Rodríguez, acting President of the country, declared a state of emergency, and warned that the toll was expected to rise intensely once rescuers reached La Guaira, which is the hardest-hit state situated near the capital, which she described as the “disaster zone,” AP reported.

Rescue workers search through the rubble after an earthquake in La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

The rescue team worked throughout the night, pulling survivors from rubble. International aid offers filled in from the United States, Latin America, Europe, and beyond, with thousands yet unaccounted for.

1. Twin quakes of historic magnitude rattle the region

According to AP, the first earthquake, measured initially, had struck at a magnitude of 7.1. It was later revised to 7.2 by the USGS, struck in west of Morón, Venezuela’s Caribbean coast, around 168 km (104 miles) from Caracas, at a depth of 22 km. After less than a minute, an even greater quake of 7.5 magnitude with a depth of 10 km struck about 16 km southwest of Morón.

The USGS stated that the pairing of this scale is unusual and difficult to model. Paul Earle, a seismologist, said that it is hard to unravel the effects “when the earthquakes are this close together” in time. The tremors were felt as far away as Brazil’s Amazon region, roughly 1,700 km from Caracas, prompting building evacuations in cities like Manaus, Belém, and Macapá, as well as in parts of Colombia. A tsunami warning was issued but swiftly cancelled once the danger had passed.

2. Death toll climbs as La Guaira emerges as ground zero

President Rodríguez confirmed a minimum of  164 deaths and more than 900 were injured during a broadcast address and cautioned that the figures excluded La Guaira state, which is home to Caracas’s main airport, where “dozens of buildings have collapsed” and rescue operations were underway.

The doublet Where it hit How far it reached Why it's rare The aid response Diaspora in the dark

The event

Two of the strongest quakes in over a century — in one minute

The first quake struck the Caribbean coast on the evening of June 24, 2026. The U.S. Geological Survey initially measured it at 7.1, then revised it to 7.2. An even larger 7.5-magnitude quake followed less than a minute later, with its epicentre near the town of Morón.

First quake Depth 22 km

M7.2

Second quake Depth 10 km · <1 min later

M7.5

Moment magnitude scale (0–10)

105 mi

West of Caracas (170 km)

<1 min

Between the two quakes

100+

Years — strongest in over a century

164+

Confirmed dead

971

Injured

Hardest hit

La Guaira: a coastal "disaster zone"

La Guaira — the coastal state about 30 km north of Caracas, home to the country's main airport — is one of the worst-affected areas. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez called it a "disaster zone" with dozens of buildings collapsed, and said rescue teams were being shifted there to free people still trapped. Three children were pulled alive from the rubble. The toll is expected to rise.

A rare rescue

Three children, covered in dust but alive, were pulled from the rubble in La Guaira, state TV footage showed.

Caracas

Buildings collapsed across the Baruta, Chacao and Altamira districts; residents fled into the streets and many spent the night outdoors.

Main airport closed

Simón Bolívar International Airport was damaged and shut, with one runway cracked — complicating incoming aid flights.

How far the shaking was felt Caracas → Brazil's Amazon

1,700 km

~1,050 miles from the capital

Brazil's Amazon

Buildings evacuated in Manaus, Belém and Macapá, about 1,700 km away.

Colombia

Felt across the Caribbean and northeast regions — no damage or injuries reported.

Tsunami alert

The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued alerts that were quickly lifted.

The science

Off the Ring of Fire — so big quakes are unusual

Venezuela sits where the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates meet, but it lies away from the Pacific "Ring of Fire" — the belt the USGS says is responsible for 90% of the world's earthquakes. That makes powerful quakes here far rarer than along the Pacific coast in Mexico or Chile.

What's a plate boundary? ▾

The planet's crust is broken into tectonic plates that grind past, pull away from, or push into one another. Venezuela straddles the seam between two of them — most of the time it moves slowly, but a sudden slip can release enormous energy as an earthquake.

1812 — Mérida & Caracas

A devastating quake killed an estimated 30,000 people, according to the USGS.

1967 — Caracas

A deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the capital.

June 24, 2026 — now

Back-to-back M7.2 and M7.5 quakes — among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.

$200M

Reconstruction fund for hospitals & homes

12+

Countries offering aid

International response

Offers pour in as rescue efforts continue

Offers of help poured in from around the world as rescue crews began arriving. Venezuela declared a state of emergency and announced a $200 million reconstruction fund, while UN-certified search-and-rescue teams headed to the country and Rodríguez coordinated the incoming aid.

United States

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is deploying search-and-rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian aid in a "whole of government" response.

Already on the ground

Qatar, Mexico and El Salvador have sent rescue personnel and Ecuador ordered humanitarian aid; other nations across the region pledged support.

"We will have a whole of government response. It will be big. It will be fast. It will be effective."

— Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, speaking in Bahrain

7.7M+

Have left Venezuela during its crisis

Blackout

Power & phone signal lost in parts

Beyond the borders

Families abroad cut off from loved ones

The loss of phone signal in parts of Venezuela deepened the distress of many families — a fear sharpened for the more than 7.7 million people who have fled the country during its protracted crisis. On Thursday, scores took to social media seeking missing loved ones, posting photos and last-known locations.

"May strength, serenity, and solidarity prevail among us in the face of this difficult time."

— María Corina Machado, opposition leader, in exile since December

Sources: Associated Press · Reuters · U.S. Geological Survey

The USGS’s predictive modelling distinctively estimated that the final death toll could run into thousands, with a considerable probability of exceeding 10,000, underlining the scale of destruction which officials feared was still being uncovered.

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Rescue workers search through the rubble after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Campos)

In Falcón state, the governor noted 32 people were hospitalised, and 15 were still trapped in the disaster’s initial hours. A crowdsourced tracker as shared by the opposition figures listed over 6,600 people as unaccounted by early Thursday.

3. Scenes of chaos as Caracas buildings collapse and residents flee

Witnesses reported mayhem as the land shook for the second time, even before a minute had passed. Residents told about jugs falling inside refrigerators, distressed families climbing over rubble, and the entire neighbourhoods rushing into the streets. One resident compared the situation to “a horror movie.” An 80-year-old pensioner mentioned that the earthquake felt worse than the lethal Caracas quake of 1967.

#URGENTE En la Guaira, Playa Grande colapsaron más de cuatro edificios al mismo tiempo: Oasis Beach, Punta Brisas, Punta Brava y las Palmas. pic.twitter.com/U0PdjG7d1e

— Andrews Abreu (@AndrewsAbreu) June 25, 2026

Television broadcasts showed 3 children being pulled alive who were covered in dust from rubble in La Guaira. A hospital in Tucacas reportedly sustained damage. Caracas’s Simón Bolívar International Airport was shut down after it sustained through the damage, alongside interruptions in the capital’s subway and natural-gas services.

Parts of the capital also had a power shutdown and lost cellphone signal, deepening angst for over 7.7 million Venezuelans who had emigrated amidst the country’s prolonged crisis. They were unable to reach their family back home.

4. International aid mobilises rapidly

Rescue aide arrived from around the hemisphere and beyond, including the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Bolivia, Argentina, Panama, Uruguay, Qatar, and Spain.  Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, said that Washington was “immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance”.

A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Venezuela at 6:04 PM local time. The epicenter was located 28 km northwest of Montalbán, Carabobo state, at a depth of 13.2 km.

Shaking was felt across Caracas, Valencia, Puerto Cabello, La Guaira, and parts of Colombia. pic.twitter.com/0uhJOqWYB8

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 25, 2026

US President Donald Trump called the earthquake toll “devastating” and requested support. Rodríguez said rescue teams from Qatar, Mexico, and El Salvador were expected to arrive within a day, even as some governments offering help, like El Salvador under President Nayib Bukele, have in the past been at odds with Caracas. Opposition leader María Corina Machado, in exile, also sent messages of solidarity to all Venezuelans.

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5. A seismically vulnerable nation bracing for aftershocks

Venezuela lies along the boundary of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, a seismically active zone that has historically generated huge earthquakes, including one in 1812 killing about 30,000 people in Mérida and Caracas. While earthquakes are more frequent along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and are responsible for roughly 90% of global earthquakes.

At Least 23 Rescued From Rubble As Damage Mounts In Caracas (CNN Citing Local Authorities)

Residents have reported disruptions to electricity, internet and mobile services, while the densely populated Petare district suffered significant damage.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez… https://t.co/T9SkM0Yzlg pic.twitter.com/C7gLhea4Sf

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) June 25, 2026

Experts stated that Caracas’s location in a deep sedimentary basin tends to heighten seismic waves, magnifying the damage from this week’s twin quakes. School classes were cancelled for the whole week. Some school buildings were adapted as shelters and donation centres, as the aftershocks continued into Thursday morning.

The officials requested residents to be cautious outdoors. According to Reuters, so far, Venezuela’s critical oil infrastructure, including facilities close to Lake Maracaibo and the El Palito refinery near the quakes’ epicentre, has not reported huge damage. An extended power shutdown could affect crude output in the coming days.

(With inputs from agencies)

(The article was curated by Seekriti Saha, who is an Intern with The Indian Express)