Two powerful earthquakes strike northern Venezuela and collapse buildings in Caracas

MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Thursday, June 25th 2026 - 04:30 UTC

The USGS described both quakes as a “seismic doublet,” a phenomenon in which two large-magnitude earthquakes occur seconds apart in the same area

Two powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, about 39 seconds apart, struck north-central Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon, collapsing buildings in the capital, Caracas, and leaving rescue teams working through the rubble, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency, though she did not provide figures for the injured or dead.

The epicenter was located about 160 kilometers west of Caracas, in the north-central part of the country, at a depth of close to 13 kilometers. The USGS described both quakes as a “seismic doublet,” a phenomenon in which two large-magnitude earthquakes occur seconds apart in the same area. The tremor was strongly felt across several states —Carabobo, Yaracuy, Falcón, Aragua, Miranda, La Guaira and the capital itself— and sent thousands of people fleeing their homes. The US Tsunami Warning System issued a threat for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands that it canceled about an hour later.