Two Powerful Earthquakes Strike Venezuela Within Seconds, Buildings Collapse In Caracas

Last Updated:June 25, 2026, 06:02 IST

The quake’s epicentre was near Montalbán at a depth of 13 kilometres. Multiple structures have reportedly collapsed after the strong earthquake.

Emergency services work at the site of a collapsed building after a strong earthquake shook Venezuela. (Source: Reuters)

Two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela within 39 seconds of each other on Wednesday evening, levelling buildings in the capital Caracas and prompting fears of mass casualties.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the 7.5-magnitude quake was the second event in an earthquake doublet, adding, “This earthquake was the second event in a doublet. This magnitude 7.5 mainshock was preceded by 39 seconds by a 7.2 foreshock.”

The two quakes struck less than a minute apart, about 45 kilometres from each other, and at different depths, USGS data showed. The tremors caused buildings to collapse in Caracas and were also felt in neighbouring Colombia.

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck near San Felipe, about 284 km west of Caracas, at 22.04 GMT on Wednesday, followed almost immediately by a 7.5 magnitude quake near Yumare, about 293 km west of the capital, the US Geological Survey said.

Speaking on state television, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said, “Some buildings have been brought down (in Caracas), houses have collapsed.” He did not provide an initial estimate of casualties and said protocols were being followed to gather more information.

Video footage showed emergency crews searching through the rubble of a collapsed building in Caracas as darkness fell.

The earthquake struck while many Venezuelans were at home observing a public holiday marking the 1821 military victory that secured the country’s independence from Spain.

Residents described scenes of panic as buildings shook violently. “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.

People rushed to evacuate buildings across the capital, which was previously devastated by a deadly earthquake in 1967. Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner, said police helped her evacuate. “This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967,” she said.

Fire trucks were deployed across Caracas as emergency responders assessed the damage. Several buildings suffered significant structural damage, with cracked facades and collapsed sections reported in parts of the city.

One witness reported cracks running up the side of an apartment building, while glass at the building’s entrance shattered during the tremor.

“Several walls in my building broke open or cracks formed,” said a witness in Valencia, to the west of Caracas, while speaking to Reuters. “As soon as it stopped (shaking), my husband and I evacuated,” the witness added.

The US Tsunami Warning System initially issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire following the powerful earthquake off Venezuela. The alert warned of potentially hazardous waves before it was lifted about an hour later.

With inputs from Reuters, AFP

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