Venezuela Hit by 7.1-Magnitude Earthquake

June 25, 2026 adminsr

Updated

Two major earthquakes struck central Venezuela on Wednesday evening, toppling buildings and sending people fleeing into the streets in Caracas, as rescuers searched for survivors in a disaster that adds to the country’s severe political and economic turmoil.

The scale of the damage from the quakes, one of which was the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, was not immediately clear late Wednesday night. But President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency, calling on doctors and nurses to report to their jobs to care for the injured. And the mayor of a municipality in Caracas, the capital, said that three people had died after two structures collapsed.

A seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Paul Earle, called the earthquakes “devastating.”

Video circulating widely on social media and verified by The New York Times showed scenes of panic and destruction: A hotel reduced to rubble north of Caracas, and people rushing for cover inside a shaking building at Simón Bolívar International Airport, which serves Caracas. And images showed rescue teams combing through collapsed structures in the city. Rescuers warned onlookers to remain silent as they called out for missing people.

The first earthquake hit just after 6 p.m. Eastern time with a magnitude of 7.2, and was followed less than a minute later by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake, according to U.S. monitoring agencies. The stronger quake was the largest to hit the country since 1900.

The epicenter was near San Felipe, a city of about 220,000 in the state of Yaracuy, west of Caracas. As seismologists review available data, they may revise the reported magnitudes of the earthquakes.

The earthquakes are the latest blow to a country that has experienced extraordinary upheaval in recent years. In January, U.S. forces deposed and captured Nicolás Maduro, the former Venezuelan leader who oversaw an economic collapse and efforts to consolidate authoritarian rule during his time in office.

Since then, the Trump administration has seized control over Venezuela’s oil industry, turning the country into something resembling a vassal state. Investors from the United States have been flocking to Caracas to explore potential deals, marking Venezuela’s shift away from allies like Cuba, Iran and Russia.

Here’s what else to know:

Structural risks: The U.S. Geological Survey said that many people in the affected area reside in structures made of unreinforced brick masonry and adobe block construction, which are vulnerable to earthquakes.
International aid: President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said in a social media post that his country had offered aid to Venezuela, and that 300 rescue workers and paramedics were ready to depart for Caracas with equipment, medicine and supplies.
Past disaster: Wednesday’s quakes quickly drew comparisons among Venezuelans to a 1967 earthquake that wreaked havoc in the capital and left more than 200 people dead.

Reporting was contributed by Amy Graff, Isayen Herrera and Tibisay Romero.