Twin Earthquakes in Venezuela Kill at Least 32, Trigger International Aid Offers
7 verified4 unconfirmed
Powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, killing at least 32 people and injuring at least 700, according to acting President Delcy Rodriguez. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the first quake at magnitude 7.2 and a second at magnitude 7.5, both near the country’s northern coast, causing building collapses in Caracas and prompting a state of emergency. Rodriguez declared the state of emergency and warned that the toll could rise as rescue operations continue, particularly in the hard-hit state of La Guaira. The U.S. government pledged immediate assistance, including search and rescue teams, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid, mobilized through the State Department. Several other countries, including China, Brazil, Qatar, Mexico, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic, offered or dispatched aid and rescue personnel. The earthquakes are among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and were felt as far away as Brazil’s Amazon region.
What’s verified
Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela on June 24, 2026, near the northern coast.
At least 32 people were killed and at least 700 injured, according to acting President Delcy Rodriguez.
Rodriguez declared a state of emergency and said the quakes caused widespread damage, particularly in the state of La Guaira.
The U.S. government pledged to deploy search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.
The U.S. Geological Survey issued red alerts through its PAGER system and estimated a high probability of significant casualties.
Offers of aid came from multiple countries, including China, Brazil, Qatar, Mexico, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, and Uruguay.
The earthquakes are among the strongest recorded in Venezuela in the past century.
Not yet confirmed
The U.S. Geological Survey’s PAGER model estimates a 41% probability that fatalities could exceed 10,000 and a 17% chance they could reach 100,000, well above the official count of 32. However, this model estimate appears in only one source.
Only one source reports that the earthquakes were felt in Brazil’s Amazon region and in Colombia’s Caribbean and northeast regions, with building evacuations but no reported fatalities or injuries there.
The specific extent of damage from landslides and liquefaction, as assessed by one source, remains unclear, as does the potential effect of the “double tap” sequence on overall destruction.
Questions the sources leave unanswered include the final death and injury toll, the full extent of structural damage outside Caracas, and the timeline for delivery of international aid.
Key figures
Delcy Rodriguez, acting president of Venezuela
Donald Trump, president of the United States
Christopher Landau, U.S. deputy secretary of state
Jeremy Lewin, U.S. undersecretary of state for foreign assistance
Víctor Clark, governor of Falcon state, Venezuela
María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader (in exile)
Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela interior minister
Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador
Daniel Noboa, president of Ecuador
Rodrigo Paz, president of Bolivia
Luiz Inácio da Silva, president of Brazil
Sources: CNBC, abcnews.com, NBC News, eos.org
