JUNE 25, 2026

Back-to-back earthquakes kill at least 164 in Venezuela, injure nearly 1,000 and collapse buildings along northern coast

Two consecutive earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude — struck Venezuela's northern Caribbean coast on Wednesday evening, killing at least 164 people and injuring 971, according to acting President Delcy Rodríguez. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the first quake west of Morón at a depth of 22 kilometers, followed less than a minute later by the second at a depth of 10 kilometers. More than 20 aftershocks have since been recorded, and the country's main international airport sustained damage and was closed.

Rescue teams worked through the night and into Thursday to reach survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings, with the coastal state of La Guaira described by Rodríguez as a "disaster zone" and among the hardest-hit areas. State television footage showed three dust-covered children pulled alive from rubble there, as workers used power tools to cut through debris. Caracas residents, many of whom lost power and cellphone service, gathered by the hundreds in open parks and parking lots, some hugging pets through the night, after authorities warned against returning to structurally damaged buildings.

Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in a televised address Wednesday evening, announcing a $200 million reconstruction fund for damaged hospitals and homes and requesting that businesses make heavy construction equipment available to rescue operations. She said UN-certified search and rescue teams were en route and that the government had activated both public and private health networks across the affected regions. Subway service in Caracas was suspended, natural gas was shut off, and schools were canceled, with some buildings converted to shelters.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Bahrain, said the United States was "immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance." President Trump posted on Truth Social that he had "instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly," calling Venezuela's leaders "our new and great friends." Rodríguez thanked Trump by name and said she had spoken with Rubio by phone. Ecuador, Qatar, Mexico, and El Salvador also dispatched rescue personnel or offered aid.