{"id":891369,"date":"2026-06-25T08:27:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/891369\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T08:27:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:27:26","slug":"back-to-back-earthquakes-slam-venezuela-collapse-buildings-in-caracas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/891369\/","title":{"rendered":"Back-to-back earthquakes slam Venezuela, collapse buildings in Caracas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CARACAS, Venezuela\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Powerful back-to-back earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening killed at least 32 people and injured at least 700, the nation\u2019s acting president said, as communities across the South American country sustained damage.<\/p>\n

Acting President Delcy Rodr\u00edguez warned that the toll was expected to rise as rescuers searched collapsed buildings and emergency crews reached devastated areas after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck shortly after 6 p.m.<\/p>\n

Rodr\u00edguez declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation late Wednesday and said the quakes caused damage in several states. The casualty figures released early Thursday excluded the state of La Guaira, which Rodr\u00edguez described as a \u201cdisaster zone\u201d and the area hardest hit.<\/p>\n

\u201cDozens of buildings have collapsed there, about [19 miles] north of Caracas, and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The earthquakes, among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century, roiled the region, with buildings evacuated in cities and areas affected as far as away Brazil\u2019s Amazon about 1,050 miles from Venezuela\u2019s capital, Caracas.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Rescue workers carry an injured man in Caracas, Venezuela, after a pair of strong earthquakes on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

(Ariana Cubillos \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

The earthquakes damaged and closed Sim\u00f3n Bol\u00edvar International Airport near Caracas, the country\u2019s main airport, Rodr\u00edguez said, adding that subway and natural gas services in Caracas were canceled. She urged Venezuelans to report any damages through a government app.<\/p>\n

Rodr\u00edguez said school classes would be canceled for several days. The Ministry of Education said some school buildings would be used as shelters and donation centers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe urge our population to remain calm,\u201d said Rodr\u00edguez, who asked healthcare professionals to report to hospitals to assist the injured. \u201cWe urge unity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Country hit twice by large quakes<\/p>\n

The U.S. Geological Survey initially said the first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1, later revising that to 7.2. Its epicenter was west of Mor\u00f3n on the country\u2019s Caribbean coast about 104 miles west of Caracas. The quake had a depth of 13.6 miles.<\/p>\n

The USGS reported an even larger magnitude 7.5 earthquake just a minute later. The second quake had a depth of 6.2 miles)with an epicenter 10 miles southwest of Mor\u00f3n.<\/p>\n

In the coastal state of Falcon, Gov. V\u00edctor Clark said 32 people had been hospitalized and there were 15 people trapped in the hours after the earthquake.<\/p>\n

\"People <\/p>\n

After strong quakes, people walk in the rubble in Caracas, Venezuela.<\/p>\n

(Pedro Mattey \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

International assistance offered<\/p>\n

Offers of help were made by various governments including the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay.<\/p>\n

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said in a post on X early Thursday that the United States was \u201cimmediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeremy P. Lewin, the U.S. undersecretary of state for foreign assistance, said the State Department had mobilized a disaster assistance team and task force to coordinate aid with the interim Venezuelan government.<\/p>\n

Rodr\u00edguez said Thursday that Qatar had already sent rescuers who were expected in Venezuela the next day, along with rescue personnel from Mexico and El Salvador.<\/p>\n

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, once diametrically opposed to Venezuela\u2019s government, said in a post on X Wednesday night that he had offered aid.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe send you all our solidarity and our prayers. Stay strong, Venezuela,\u201d Bukele wrote.<\/p>\n

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said he had ordered the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to help respond to the emergency.<\/p>\n

\u201cEcuador will respond with the speed and commitment this moment demands because, despite our enormous differences, humanity must always guide the actions of a leader,\u201d Noboa wrote.<\/p>\n

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, who less than a week ago declared a state of emergency in his country following weeks of anti-government protests, said his country stood ready to provide any needed assistance.<\/p>\n

The administration of Brazil President Luiz In\u00e1cio da Silva expressed solidarity and said no Brazilians reported being injured.<\/p>\n

\u2018We all had to leave our houses\u2019<\/p>\n

Television broadcasts Thursday showed images of rescue workers using power tools on collapsed structures.<\/p>\n

During the quakes, people evacuated swaying buildings in Caracas, many visibly shocked as they saw collapsed walls that left furniture visible from the street. Dust columns could be seen in two capital neighborhoods with typically busy restaurants and other businesses.<\/p>\n

People remained on the streets for hours, some sitting on the ground hugging pets as dust gathered around them. Collapsed buildings, toppled electric poles and debris blocked streets. Parts of the capital lost power and cellphone signal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together,\u201d Caracas resident Hector Ricci said.<\/p>\n

Roberto Gamas, another Caracas resident, said the building he was in \u201creally shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lack of cellphone signal in parts of Venezuela deepened the distress of many families, particularly those among the more than 7.7 million people who have left the country during its protracted political crisis.<\/p>\n

Venezuela opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado, in exile after leaving Venezuela in December, took to X to send prayers and wish strength to Venezuelans.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay strength, serenity, and solidarity prevail among us in the face of this difficult time,\u201d she said on X.<\/p>\n

Impact felt throughout Venezuela<\/p>\n

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the quake could be felt in several states. The Altamira neighborhood in Caracas had \u201calarming situations\u201d with collapsed homes and buildings, he said, suggesting people were injured in the earthquake and asking motorists to give way to ambulances and other emergency vehicles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to protocols to activate aid and rescue efforts to help those who need it most,\u201d Cabello said on state television. \u201cBe very careful with children and the elderly; call each other and check that no one has been harmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

A collapsed building in Caracas following the two magnitude 7-plus quakes.<\/p>\n

(Adrian Naranjo \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Earthquakes affect the region<\/p>\n

Buildings in Manaus, Belem and Macap\u00e1 in Brazil\u2019s Amazon were evacuated, according to reports on TV Globo. The quakes also were felt in Colombia\u2019s Caribbean and northeast regions, but there were no reports of damages or injuries.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued several tsumani alerts in the wake of the earthquakes that were quickly lifted.<\/p>\n

Strong earthquakes are unusual in Venezuela. Although the country sits near multiple fault lines, its position straddling the South American and Caribbean plates make earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America.<\/p>\n

Earthquakes are frequent along the Pacific coast, including in Mexico and Chile, which both sit along the seismically active tectonic belt known as the Ring of Fire, an area that the USGS said is responsible for 90% of earthquakes.<\/p>\n

Garcia Cano and Arraez write for the Associated Press. AP writers Clara Preve, Astrid Suarez, Mauricio Savarese, Anna-Catherine Brigada, Megan Janetsky, India Grant, Cristina Fuentes and Maria Teresa Hernandez contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CARACAS, Venezuela\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Powerful back-to-back earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening killed at least 32 people and injured at…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":891370,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5123],"tags":[361362,9102,1582,276,361364,7553,110281,9958,70306,256912,2961,224,5337,30338,20038,3546,361363,68571,67119,32322],"class_list":["post-891369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-5-magnitude-earthquake","tag-building","tag-ca","tag-california","tag-cano","tag-capital","tag-caracas","tag-country","tag-depth","tag-epicenter","tag-la","tag-los-angeles","tag-losangeles","tag-moron","tag-neighborhood","tag-people","tag-powerful-earthquake","tag-quake","tag-tsunami-alert","tag-venezuela"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116809804597915611","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=891369"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891369\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/891370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=891369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=891369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=891369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}