Two powerful earthquakes impacted Venezuela on June 24, causing structural collapses in the capital city of Caracas and leading experts to warn of potentially high casualties and widespread regional destruction. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the first temblor occurred at approximately 6:04 p.m. local time, centered about 15 miles east-northeast of San Felipe, with a magnitude of 7.1 and a depth of 8 miles.
Less than 60 seconds later, a second, larger earthquake measuring 7.5 in magnitude struck about 14 miles southeast of Yumare. The USGS characterized the events as a seismic doublet, where the 7.2 magnitude foreshock was followed only 39 seconds later by the 7.5 magnitude mainshock. The agency warned that the disaster likely caused significant damage and that dangerous aftershocks remain a continued threat.
While authorities have yet to release formal casualty statistics, local officials and witnesses have reported numerous collapsed structures and an increasing number of injuries. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed on state television that security forces, fire departments, and civil assistance teams have been activated to conduct search and rescue operations. In the municipality of Chacao, Mayor Gustavo Duque reported multiple building failures, noting that 18 survivors were pulled from a single site, while the coastal state of Falcon reported 22 injuries and 15 people missing.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a national state of emergency late on June 24 in response to the quakes and subsequent aftershocks. She confirmed that damage to the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetia has forced the facility to close indefinitely. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas stated that all American personnel are safe, and the U.S. government has begun mobilizing disaster assistance teams, including medical and humanitarian supplies, to support recovery efforts.
International aid offers have already begun, with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele pledging 300 rescue personnel and 50 tonnes of essential supplies. The event took place during a national holiday, leaving many residents at home when the shaking began. Witnesses described scenes of panic as buildings cracked or collapsed. One local resident, 80-year-old Maria Romero, described the event as more severe than the historic 1967 earthquake.
While the U.S. Tsunami Warning System initially issued a threat alert for Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and nearby Dutch islands, the advisory was later canceled as the threat subsided. Geologically, the activity occurred at a complex boundary between the Caribbean and South American plates. Although northern Venezuela sits in a seismically active zone, such large, back-to-back quakes are rare, with the USGS noting that only five magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes have been recorded in the region since 1900.
