Venezuela was hit on the evening of June 24, local time, by two powerful earthquakes that damaged buildings in the capital, Caracas, and led to the declaration of a state of emergency. The tremors struck within less than a minute of each other. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the first tremor had a magnitude of 7.2 and the second, stronger one, 7.5; the epicenter was located near the village of Yumare in northern Venezuela, roughly 150 kilometers west of Caracas. Initial reports gave a magnitude of 7.1, which the USGS later revised upward. USGS ↗
Several buildings collapsed in the capital, and footage from the scene showed extensive damage as well as rescuers pulling people from the rubble. Damage was also reported at the metropolis's main airport, along with power outages in parts of the city. Residents of neighboring Colombia also felt the tremors. A brief tsunami warning issued for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands was lifted about an hour later. Spiegel.de ↗
The state of emergency was declared by acting president Delcy Rodríguez, who has led the country since January 5, 2026 — since the United States intervened in Venezuela and captured then-president Nicolás Maduro. She is the first woman ever to hold the office of Venezuelan president. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated that the extent of the aftermath was not immediately clear following the tremors and that authorities were continuing rescue operations. Die Zeit ↗
According to the USGS, high loss of life and extensive damage are likely; its automated PAGER model issued the highest, red alert level and estimated the most probable range of casualties at 10,000 to 100,000. This is a statistical estimate derived from the strength of the tremor and population density, not a tally of actual casualties — the real figure will only become clear after rescue operations conclude, and in past cases it has often been considerably lower than the model's upper bound. By the afternoon, authorities had confirmed at least 235 dead and more than 4,300 injured, with the toll expected to keep rising. Spiegel.de ↗
These earthquakes are among the strongest to have hit Venezuela in more than 125 years. In the coming hours, it will be crucial whether rescuers manage to reach people trapped in the rubble and whether authorities are able to provide a clearer count of the dead, injured, and material damage. Standard.sk ↗
Venezuela declares state of emergency after powerful earthquakes
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Sources (12)
Magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocks Venezuela as buildings shake in Caracas
BBC News
| 01:21 25.06.
Erdbeben in Venezuela: Venezuela ruft Notstand nach zwei Erdbeben aus
Die Zeit
| 04:41 25.06.
Watch: Moment earthquake hits Venezuela and leaves buildings collapsed
BBC News
| 01:40 25.06.
Silné zemetrasenia zasiahli Venezuelu. Očakávajú desaťtisíce mŕtvych
Standard.sk
| 07:07 25.06.
Fotos zeigen schwere Zerstörungen in Caracas
Spiegel.de
| 04:06 25.06.
Zwei starke Erdbeben erschüttern Venezuela
Spiegel.de
| 02:57 25.06.
Venezuela hit by powerful back-to-back earthquakes
Independent
| 02:14 25.06.
Notfälle: Zwei sehr starke Erdbeben erschüttern Venezuela
Tagesspiegel
| 02:07 25.06.
Notfälle: Zwei sehr starke Erdbeben erschüttern Venezuela
Die Zeit
| 02:06 25.06.
Venezuela: Erbeben erschüttert Land und Hauptstadt Caracas
Tagesschau
| 01:55 25.06.
Gebäude eingestürzt, Staubwolken in der Hauptstadt – Schweres Erdbeben erschüttert Venezuela
Welt
| 01:30 25.06.
Un terremoto de 7,1 sacude varias regiones de Venezuela
El Pais
| 00:47 25.06.
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