Twin earthquakes devastate Venezuela, killing dozens and flattening buildings in Caracas

CARACAS, Venezuela (MNTV) — Two powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela on Wednesday evening, collapsing buildings in and around the capital and killing at least 32 people, with hundreds more injured, according to interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who warned the toll is expected to climb.

Seismologists said a magnitude 7.2 foreshock struck near San Felipe, the capital of Yaracuy state, followed about 40 seconds later by a stronger magnitude 7.5 quake southeast of the town of Yumare.

Both originated in Yaracuy state, west of Caracas, at depths of roughly 22 and 10 kilometers — the first was initially reported by the US Geological Survey at magnitude 7.1 before being revised. The second is described as the country’s largest earthquake in more than a century.

Rodríguez said about 700 people had been injured and declared a nationwide state of emergency as nearly two dozen aftershocks rattled the country.

She said the initial figures did not yet include casualties from La Guaira state, near the capital and home to the main airport, meaning the count is likely incomplete.

The damage is extensive. The Altamira and El Paraíso neighborhoods of Caracas were among the worst hit, with further destruction in La Guaira and other parts of central Venezuela.

In the Chacao municipality of eastern Caracas, the local mayor said more than 500 emergency workers were searching collapsed and damaged buildings, with gas shut off and many areas without power. The tremors also downed power lines and damaged the capital’s main airport.

Authorities closed Caracas’s international airport, suspended school classes nationwide for a week, and halted rail service and non-essential activities as security forces and rescue crews mobilized. Many residents were at home celebrating a public holiday marking an 1821 military victory that secured independence from Spain when the shaking began.

The USGS cautioned that the human cost could grow sharply. Its modeling put a 39 percent probability on deaths reaching 1,000 to 10,000, and a 37 percent probability on a range of 10,000 to 100,000 — statistical estimates for emergency planning rather than confirmed counts. The agency warned that many buildings in the affected area are built from unreinforced brick and adobe, materials especially vulnerable to strong shaking.

A tsunami threat was briefly issued for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands, with Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire also flagged, before being withdrawn about an hour later. The quakes were felt across central and western Venezuela and into Colombia, with tremors reported as far away as Brazil’s Amazon region, more than 1,700 kilometers from Caracas.

Condolences and offers of aid pour in

Messages of solidarity and pledges of assistance arrived from across the Americas, Europe and Asia within hours.

In Washington, President Donald Trump said the United States stood ready to help, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the country was deploying search-and-rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian aid. The offer came against a tense backdrop, as Trump had ordered the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a raid earlier this year.

Across Latin America, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Panama extended condolences and offers of support. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa ordered the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid, while Türkiye also pledged assistance.

In Asia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply saddened by the destruction and extended condolences to the Venezuelan government and to bereaved families, wishing the injured a swift recovery and saying India was prepared to provide any help needed.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif likewise voiced sorrow over the loss of life and damage, conveyed condolences on behalf of Pakistan, and said his country stood in solidarity with Venezuelans, offering prayers for the injured.

European leaders echoed the same message. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his thoughts and solidarity with the Venezuelan people, the victims and the rescue teams working on the ground.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offered his full backing and that of Spain, saying his thoughts were with the victims and their families. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also extended her solidarity and said coordination was underway to activate humanitarian aid channels.

Venezuela sits in a seismically active zone where the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates meet. Rescue operations were continuing into the night.