Thu 25 June 2026:
Back-to-back powerful earthquakes have struck Venezuela, collapsing buildings in the capital, Caracas, and leaving residents shaken.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the first magnitude 7.2 earthquake had its epicentre west of the community of Moron, located along the country’s Caribbean coast, about 168 km (104 miles) west of Caracas. The quake had a depth of 22km (14 miles).
The US Geological Survey estimates that the death toll could likely range from 10,000 to 100,000.
Authorities did not immediately provide official estimates for deaths or injuries.
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez has declared a state of emergency.
Rodriguez also said that the Simon Bolivar international airport in Maiquetia has been closed after sustaining severe damage.
Residents of Caracas have been recounting the moment when the earthquakes struck.
Many were home at the time, as today is a public holiday that marks an 1821 military victory that helped secure the country’s independence from Spain.
“As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming,” Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas, told Reuters. “Everyone was running down the stairs.”
The survivors said they 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.
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Buildings collapse across Venezuela, full extent of damage not yet known
Two very strong earthquakes in central Venezuela happened 21km (13 miles) away from Moron, and they were felt very strongly in different areas across the country, including in the states of Trujillo, Carabobo, Miranda and La Guaira.
We were seeing images coming out of Caracas in the area of Altamira. That’s an area that’s filled with businesses and restaurants and where several buildings collapsed.
One of them, a 22-storey building: We were able to see images of emergency services trying to get people out of the rubble. We saw them get people out alive. We also heard some people screaming out the names of their relatives apparently trapped inside, and asking people for torches to try and help with rescue efforts.
We spoke to a person who was in La Guaira. That’s right next to the airport, about an hour away from Caracas. He said the airport was hit but not destroyed. He was also saying that all the buildings surrounding him had completely collapsed and that the road in front of him had cracked open.
He was trying to make it back to Caracas, but the roads were closed.
We know that the mayor of Chacao in the state of Miranda says several casualties were expected. It’s not clear how many.
We know the minister of interior, Diosdado Cabello, confirmed that several buildings across the country had collapsed. We’re waiting for further assessments about how much damage has happened.
Venezuela’s interior minister reports ‘alarming’ situation in Caracas neighbourhood
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello has acknowledged that some people are in desperate circumstances, adding that the government is working to “activate aid and rescue efforts”.
“Be very careful with children and the elderly; call each other and check that no one has been harmed,” Cabello said on state television.
Cabello said that the Altamira neighbourhood in the capital, Caracas, is facing an “alarming situation”, with several buildings reported to have collapsed. He urged motorists to clear the roads to allow emergency services to carry out rescue operations and treat the injured.
How much energy is released by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake?
The second 7.5 magnitude earthquake that hit Venezuela this morning was equivalent to around 100 million tons of Trinitrotoluene or TNT exploding, according to Vashan Wright, a geophysicist at the University of California, San Diego.
Damage was particularly severe around Caracas, he said, because of the region’s unique geography.
“Caracas has a deep sediment basin that amplifies the seismic waves that come up from deep within the earth’s surface,” he told Al Jazeera.
“Whenever you have these basins with a lot of sediment, they get magnified.”
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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