APTOPIX Venezuela Earthquake

Ariana Cubillos - AP
Jun 24, 2026
Jun 24, 2026 Updated 17 hrs ago

Rescue worker carry an injured man after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Ariana Cubillos - AP

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Back-to-back powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela, causing widespread damage

Back-to-back powerful earthquakes have slammed Venezuela, collapsing buildings in the capital of Caracas. The U.S. Geological Survey said the first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 and its epicenter was west of the community of Morón, located along the country’s Caribbean coast, about 168 kilometers west of Caracas. The quake had a depth of 22 kilometers. Minutes later, the USGS reported an even larger 7.5-magnitude earthquake. The second quake had a depth of 10 kilometers and its epicenter was 16 kilometers southwest of Morón. The quakes are among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.

Venezuela health minister says around 235 people dead and 4,300 injured in catastrophic earthquakes

Venezuelans searched for survivors beneath collapsed buildings and rescue teams raced to northern areas rocked by a pair of powerful earthquakes that officials say killed around 235 people and left at least 4,300 people injured. The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that hit Wednesday evening were among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century. The quakes could be felt throughout the region. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez says authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, north of the capital Caracas. The natural disaster is the latest challenge for Rodríguez, who took office in January after the U.S. seized then-president Nicolas Maduro in a surprise military operation.