Authorities have confirmed dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries across the north of the country

Published 24 Jun, 2026 22:53 | Updated 25 Jun, 2026 07:01

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Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern Caribbean coast on Wednesday, causing widespread destruction in Caracas and several other regions. The first quake had a magnitude of 7.2 and was followed less than a minute later by a stronger 7.5 tremor, triggering building collapses, infrastructure damage and a large-scale emergency response.

Authorities have confirmed dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries, with La Guaira, Carabobo and parts of the capital among the hardest-hit areas. Rescue teams are continuing to search through the rubble for survivors as aftershocks continue to shake the region.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter was located off Venezuela’s northern coast near the city of Morón. The earthquakes were felt across much of the country, as well as in neighboring Colombia and several Caribbean islands. More than 20 aftershocks have been recorded, prompting authorities to warn residents to remain vigilant.

The government has declared a nationwide state of emergency, deploying the armed forces, civil defense units and emergency services. Schools, public transport and some airports have been temporarily closed, while power, water and communications have been disrupted in several parts of the country.

 

The deadliest earthquake in Venezuela’s recent history struck in 1967, killing around 300 people and injuring some 1,600 in Caracas. Another earthquake in the country’s northeast in 1997 killed at least 81 people.

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25 June 2026

09:00 GMT

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has held a phone call with his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gil, expressing Madrid’s “full solidarity” after the two powerful earthquakes.

Spain has “offered all available assistance” to Venezuela through its Agency for International Development Cooperation and Military Emergencies Unit, a statement from the Foreign Ministry said. The ministers are expected to have another conversation later in the day to finalize the details of how the aid will be provided, it added.

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08:33 GMT

Emergency crews have pulled a 14-year-old girl alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in Caracas.

 

08:31 GMT

A football player for the Venezuelan U20 national team, Yimvert Berroteran, is missing after the earthquake in the Los Corales area of La Guaira, local media have reported.

 

 

08:03 GMT

The US will be “immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, adding that the aid will be provided on the instructions of President Donald Trump.

The US kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in early January on drug trafficking charges and seized control of the country’s oil industry and export sales.

The Venezuelan government denounced the US raid as an illegal act of aggression and a violation of the country’s sovereignty, demanding the immediate release of Maduro and Flores.

 

 

08:01 GMT

The powerful twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday were the strongest to hit the country in more than a century, according to historical seismic records. The back-to-back tremors, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck less than a minute apart near Venezuela’s Caribbean coast.

The previous earthquake of comparable strength was the 1900 San Narciso earthquake, estimated at magnitude 7.6–7.7, which devastated Venezuela’s north-central coast and triggered a tsunami.

07:45 GMT

People were seen fleeing buildings across Caracas after the powerful tremors, while another video shows a man documenting the devastation inside a partially collapsed apartment block.

 

07:21 GMT

A CCTV camera has captured the panic which erupted in the streets of Venezuela when it was hit by back-to-back earthquakes.

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07:10 GMT

RT correspondent Yucsealis Rincon reports from Francisco de Miranda Avenue in Caracas, where thousands of residents remain outside amid fears of further aftershocks following the powerful earthquakes.

 

07:03 GMT

Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have hurried to offer assistance to Venezuela after it was hit by two powerful earthquakes.

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, expressed readiness to send 300 rescuers and 50 tons of humanitarian aid.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced an immediate delivery of humanitarian supplies to Caracas, while his Dominican counterpart, Luis Abinader, said his government would dispatch emergency response teams to Venezuela.

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07:00 GMT

A full-scale rescue operation is currently ongoing in Caracas and other affected areas.

Utility services, including natural gas and electricity, have been disrupted by the disaster.

 

Survivors of Wednesday’s deadly earthquakes in Venezuela have spoken of panic, collapsing buildings and desperate searches for missing relatives as rescue teams continue working through the rubble.

 

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