A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160km west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey.
Emergency services work at the site of a collapsed building after an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. REUTERS/Gaby Oraa
25 Jun 2026 09:24AM
(Updated: 25 Jun 2026 01:58PM)
CARACAS: Powerful twin earthquakes have killed 32 people and injured more than 700, the nation's interim president said Thursday (Jun 25), after the massive shocks collapsed entire buildings and sent people running in panic.Authorities and average Venezuelans were clambering on piles of rubble in the hunt for survivors after the disaster that prompted leader Delcy Rodriguez to declare a state of emergency.The earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the same area of Venezuela on Wednesday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), causing buildings in the capital to crumble and forcing the closure of the country's main airport.Addressing the nation early Thursday, Rodriguez said, "At this time, we have received reports of 32 deaths" and "more than 700 injured", adding she did not yet have data on the "hardest-hit region" of La Guaira, located near the capital.
