Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela within about a minute of each other on Wednesday (June 24, 2026), causing buildings to collapse and damage in Caracas.
The rare back-to-back tremors, measuring magnitudes 7.1 and 7.5, rank among the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in more than a century.
Offers of help were made by various governments, including the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay.
The earthquakes damaged and closed Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas, the country’s main airport.
School classes are to be cancelled for several days, and the Ministry of Education said some school buildings will be used as shelters and donation centers.
Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela within about a minute of each other on Wednesday (June 24, 2026), causing buildings to collapse and damage in Caracas. The rare back-to-back tremors, measuring magnitudes 7.1 and 7.5, rank among the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in more than a century.
Read more: Venezuela’s deadly history of earthquakes — and how they affected its politics
The powerful back-to-back earthquakes killed at least 188 people and injured at least 971, the nation’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said, as communities across the South American country sustained damage.
Offers of help were made by various governments, including the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay.
Also read: Venezuela declares state of emergency after powerful twin earthquakes; Maiquetia airport closed
The earthquakes roiled the region, with buildings evacuated in cities and areas impacted as far away as Brazil’s Amazon, about 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) from Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. The earthquakes damaged and closed Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas, the country’s main airport. School classes are to be cancelled for several days, and the Ministry of Education said some school buildings will be used as shelters and donation centers.
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