Thousands feared dead as back-to-back earthquakes rock Venezuela

Jun 25, 2026 News

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…several high-rise buildings collapsed, govt. declares state of emergency

High casualties and extensive damage are feared, with the US Geological Survey (USGS) saying there is a 44% chance the death toll from the back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela could surpass 10,000.

BBC News has reported that Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez declares a state of emergency after the two major earthquakes shook the capital Caracas just seconds apart – the first a magnitude 7.2 and the second 7.5.

Buildings have collapsed as residents poured out into the streets, and the interior minister has asked people to leave their homes.

“As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming,” said Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas, Reuters reported. “Everyone was running down the stairs.”

Residents across Caracas, which was also hit by a deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake in 1967, rushed to evacuate as buildings shook.

“There was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the ​refrigerator. I’ve never experienced anything like it,” said Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas.

Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner in southern Caracas, said police helped ​her get out of her home. “This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967,” she said.

Venezuela was celebrating a national holiday and many people would have been at home when the quakes struck at 18:04 local time (23:04 BST)

The quakes hit an area west of Caracas, and could be felt throughout the country and as far away as Bogota, Colombia

USGS estimates death toll could top 10,000

Meanwhile, the USGS said “high casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread.”  “Making an initial estimate that the death toll could range from 10,000 to 100,000.”

Authorities did not immediately provide a national toll for deaths or injuries, but local officials and witnesses reported collapsed buildings, rescues and a growing number of injured.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 and its epicenter was west of the community of Morón, located along the country’s Caribbean coast, about 168 kilometers (104 miles) west of Caracas. The quake had a depth of 22 kilometers.

The USGS reported an even larger 7.5-magnitude earthquake just a minute later. The second quake had a depth of 10 kilometers and its epicenter was 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Morón.

The quakes are among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.

The earthquakes struck shortly after 6 p.m. local time. People evacuated swaying buildings in Caracas and remained outside, many visibly shocked as they saw entire walls that had collapsed, making furniture visible from the street. Dust columns could also be seen in two neighborhoods of the capital, where restaurants and other businesses are typically busy. People remained on the streets after sunset. Some sat on the ground hugging their pets as dust gathered around them.

“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.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the quake could be felt in several states. The Altamira neighborhood in Caracas had “alarming situations” with collapsed homes and buildings, he said, suggesting people were injured in the earthquake and asking 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 on state television. “Be very careful with children and the elderly; call each other and check that no one has been harmed.”

He also urged people to remain outside as aftershocks could further damage some structures.

“The building really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong,” Caracas resident Roberto Gamas said. “We were walking and it was tossing us around. Everything in the apartment fell. Well, thank God we were able to get out.” The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for Virgin Islands. Authorities in the Dominican Republic also issued one for the island. Another alert for Puerto Rico was 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 makes earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America. Along the Pacific coast — in Mexico and Chile, for example — earthquakes are frequent; the two countries sit along the seismically active tectonic belt known as the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” responsible for 90% of earthquakes, according to the USGS

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• Caracas, death toll, earthquakes, Venezuela

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