The U.S. Geological Survey warned that "high casualties and damage are probable, and that the disaster is likely widespread."Show Caption
Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, collapsing buildings in the capital of Caracas and prompting scientists to warn of potentially heavy casualties and widespread destruction across the South American country.The first quake occurred at around 6:04 p.m. local time about 15 miles east-northeast of San Felipe, Venezuela, data from the U.S. Geological Survey showed. The temblor, initially reported as a magnitude 7.1, had a depth of about 8 miles, and its epicenter was about 17 miles northwest of Montalban, Venezuela.Less than a minute later, the USGS reported a second major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5. The quake happened about 14 miles southeast of Yumare, Venezuela, according to the agency."This earthquake was the first event in a doublet, this magnitude 7.2 foreshock was followed just 39 seconds later by a larger 7.5 mainshock," the USGS said in a statement on its website.The USGS warned that "high casualties and damage are probable, and that the disaster is likely widespread." The agency added that aftershocks, including “some potentially with strong shaking,” may follow the two earthquakes.Authorities did not provide any initial estimates of deaths or injuries."We have buildings, homes and houses which have collapsed and we are taking care of things with everything we have available in terms of security, civil assistance," Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on state television. "The fire department, police all have been activated."The U.S. embassy in Caracas said it was closely monitoring the aftermath of the quake and urged citizens in the country to seek secure shelter and avoid damaged areas. Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced on social media that she will address the country later on Wednesday, June 24.Residents in Venezuela's capital rush to evacuateMany Venezuelans were at home during a public holiday marking an 1821 military victory that helped secure the country's independence from Spain when the two earthquakes hit. Residents in Caracas rushed to evacuate as the quakes shook buildings across the city.Witnesses reported feeling the shake in Caracas, according to Reuters. One witness told the outlet that they were forced to evacuate as the earthquake shook buildings, while another reported that cracks formed on the side of their building. Video footage showed emergency workers climbing into one collapsed building in the capital as night began to fall."As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming," Astrid Ramirez, 41, told Reuters. "Everyone was running down the stairs."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, referencing the deadly magnitude 6.6 earthquake that occurred in July 1967.Tsunami alert withdrawnThe U.S. Tsunami Warning System initially issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico and the United States and British Virgin Islands following the earthquake, adding that islands off the coast of Venezuela — Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire — could also be hit by hazardous waves.In an update, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said the tsunami advisory was canceled. "The tsunami threat from this earthquake has passed and there is no further threat," according to a message from the U.S. Tsunami Warning System.USGS: Venezuela experienced a 'doublet sequence' in 2025Venezuela lies in a seismically active zone where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate. The USGS said the magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred as a result of "shallow strike-slip faulting near the complex plate boundary between the Caribbean and South American plates.""This event was the mainshock of a severe seismic doublet sequence, occurring just 39 seconds after an M 7.2 foreshock," the USGS said on its website. "A doublet sequence – defined as two earthquakes of similar magnitude that occur close in time and proximity - likely indicates a complex, rupture-interaction process."Though northern Venezuela has a history of large and damaging earthquakes, the USGS noted that there have been only seven earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 and larger in the past century in the vicinity of about 155 miles from the two temblors that occurred on June 24.The region had previously experienced a doublet sequence, including a magnitude 6.2 and 6.3, in September 2025, the USGS said. Those quakes resulted in at least one fatality, over 110 injuries, and extensive damage."In broader Venezuela, there have been five M 7+ earthquakes in northern Venezuela or near the coast since 1900," according to the USGS.Contributing: ReutersFernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
