Two Powerful Quakes Strike Venezuela, Leaving Trail of Destruction, Watch Live Video
Caracas : For Maria Alejandra, a resident of Caracas, the Venezuelan capital suddenly looked like a scene from a disaster movie. Two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck Venezuela just 39 seconds apart on Thursday evening. The quakes caused major damage in Caracas and led to tsunami warnings in parts of the Caribbean. They were the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in more than 100 years.
Although officials have not yet released the number of deaths or injuries, the US Geological Survey (USGS) warned that the death toll could be between 10,000 and 100,000. After the earthquakes, the city was covered in dust as people searched through collapsed buildings and rubble for family members and friends.
“There was so much dust that we could barely see. When we came downstairs, it looked like a horror movie. We had to climb over debris everywhere,” Maria Alejandra told Reuters. People rushed out of buildings and ran through the streets to escape falling debris and collapsing structures. The earthquakes were followed by at least 20 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 4.9 to 6.4.
Two powerful earthquakes struck western #Venezuela. measured at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, caused building collapses across several cities. USGS says roughly 8 million people experienced strong shaking. https://t.co/A44fo8okkB pic.twitter.com/yn3CnAFAua
— Smriti Sharmaa (@SmritiSharma_) June 25, 2026
Many buildings collapsed, while roads and highways developed large cracks. Rescue workers, police, and emergency teams worked through the rubble to find people trapped underneath. The earthquakes caused severe damage across much of the country, especially in Caracas and the coastal state of La Guaira.
In the wealthy Caracas neighborhood of Altamira, rescue teams and volunteers searched through the ruins of collapsed apartment buildings. Worried relatives gathered nearby, waiting for news. One of them was 61-year-old Jos Morillo, who rushed to the scene on his motorbike after learning that several family members were inside a building when the earthquakes struck.
“My brother, my son, and my nephews are all inside. I have faith and hope they are safe, but the uncertainty is very painful,” Morillo told The Guardian. Later in the evening, rescue workers pulled a teenage girl alive from the rubble. Morillo recognized her and shouted, “It’s my niece! It’s my niece!”
Many local residents also joined rescue efforts. Teacher and volunteer Olky Barrero said the experience was terrifying. “It felt like the walls were going to fall on us. Everything was shaking back and forth,” she said. “We are praying that as many people as possible survive.”
The earthquakes also badly damaged La Guaira, a coastal city that is home to Venezuela’s main international airport, Simón Bolívar International Airport. Authorities closed the airport after finding structural damage. Videos shared online showed heavy destruction to buildings along the coast, including major damage to Eduard’s Hotel Boutique.
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and expressed sympathy to the families of those who died. However, she did not provide official numbers for deaths or injuries. She said rescue operations were continuing in all affected areas.
As rescue teams worked through the night, many families waited anxiously for news of their loved ones. For many people in Caracas, the situation remained filled with fear, uncertainty, and hope that survivors would still be found beneath the rubble.
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