Venezuela Earthquakes Biggest in 100 Years
Rescue crews dug through collapsed buildings Thursday after the biggest earthquakes in 100 years struck Venezuela’s Caribbean coast, killing at least 164 people and injuring 971, officials said. One Venezuelan social media user, below, stated it looked like it was bombed.
The back-to-back quakes hit Wednesday evening, just before nightfall, shaking Caracas and several states west of the capital. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and said crews were being shifted to La Guaira, a coastal state north of Caracas where buildings fell and people remained trapped.
“We urge our population to remain calm,” Rodríguez said in a televised address. “We urge unity.”
Venezuela looks like it was BOMBED after two MASSIVE 7.1 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes.
Pray for the people, this is really bad pic.twitter.com/pIw8ywXzYe
— Ryan Rozbiani (@RyanRozbiani) June 25, 2026
The U.S. Geological Survey said a magnitude 7.2 quake struck at about 6:04 p.m. local time, followed 39 seconds later by a magnitude 7.5 main shock near Venezuela’s northern coast. The agency issued a red alert, warning that high casualties and extensive damage were probable.
La Guaira appeared to be among the hardest-hit areas. Rodríguez described it as a disaster zone and said rescue teams were carrying out intensive operations there. In Caracas, residents fled into the streets as buildings swayed, walls cracked and debris fell from damaged structures.
Simón Bolívar International Airport, the country’s main airport near Caracas, was damaged and closed. Subway service, natural gas service and school activities were suspended. Officials urged medical workers to report to hospitals as emergency rooms treated the injured.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello warned residents to remain outside because aftershocks could further weaken damaged buildings. The quakes were felt across the region, and a tsunami warning for Venezuela’s coast was canceled shortly after it was issued.
The United States said it was preparing assistance, including search and rescue support, medical resources and humanitarian aid. President Donald Trump said the United States was “ready, willing, and able to help,” and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said American officials were in contact with Venezuelan authorities. Israel, typically the first country to arrive on the scene at disasters around the world, is making “immediate preparations” for the deployment of an aid delegation, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
Several Latin American governments also offered aid or condolences. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele wrote on X that his country was sending solidarity and prayers.
Direct Relief said it was in communication with local and regional health providers about medical needs and would mobilize medical aid for immediate and near-term requests. Other Christian and faith-based relief groups with Venezuela-related work, including Samaritan’s Purse and World Vision, had not posted public earthquake-specific response statements as of Thursday, though both organizations have existing relief efforts serving Venezuelans affected by the country’s long-running humanitarian crisis.
The quakes struck a nation already destroyed by years of socialist economic policies and dictatorial leadership, weak public services and a health system short on supplies. The country was once the second most prosperous in the Western Hemisphere, behind the U.S., before it abandoned capitalism in favor of democratic socialism.
The USGS said many people in the affected region live in structures vulnerable to severe shaking, including unreinforced masonry and adobe block buildings.
Wednesday’s quakes were among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century. Officials said the death toll could rise as crews reach damaged neighborhoods and restore communications.
–Metro Voice and wire services
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