Venezuela earthquakes kill at least 188 people and injure hundreds, officials say, with death toll likely to rise

At least 188 people were killed and about 1,500 others were injured as a result of two strong earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, the head of the country’s National Assembly announced on Thursday. The death toll is likely to continue to rise as rescuers continue to search for collapsed buildings and emergency teams race to reach devastated areas.

The US Geological Survey said the magnitude of the tremors reached 7.2 and 7.5.

The agency’s predictive modeling indicated that the quakes could have killed thousands of people, with a 42% chance of killing at least 10,000 people, although that is based on historical averages and does not take into account many factors specific to this event.

Communities across the country suffered damage. Delcy Rodriguez, acting president of Venezuela, said that La Guaira state, located on the country’s northern coast, appeared to be the most affected state.

“Dozens of buildings have collapsed and we are engaged in the arduous task of saving the lives that God has allowed us to save,” she said. “La Guaira state is facing a real tragedy and has become a disaster area.”

Rescue workers and municipal police officers work at the site of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, on June 24, 2026. Manaure QUINTERO / AFP via Getty Images

The quakes, among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, rocked the region, with buildings in affected cities and areas as far away as the Brazilian Amazon, about 1,050 miles from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, being evacuated.

The United States, at the direction of President Trump, is deploying research teams, medical resources and humanitarian aid to Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media early Thursday.

Rubio spoke with Rodriguez and offered full assistance from the United States, a State Department official told CBS News, adding that such efforts are already underway. Rodriguez later confirmed the call in a social media post.

Earlier, Mr. Trump wrote on his Social Truth platform: “The two major earthquakes that have just struck the great people of Venezuela are massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths. The United States of America is ready, willing and able to help! I have instructed all agencies in our government to prepare to act quickly. We will be there for our new and great friends. The initial reports are not good!”

Jeremy B said: Lewin, Under Secretary of State for Foreign Assistance, said the State Department has mobilized a disaster assistance team and an aid coordination task force in coordination with the interim Venezuelan government.

Offers of assistance came from governments including those of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay.

In a brief address to the nation late Wednesday, Rodriguez declared a state of emergency.

The earthquakes damaged the country’s main airport, Simón Bolívar International Airport, severely enough to close it, she said, adding that classes in the country’s schools had been canceled for several days.

Rescuers search for victims in a collapsed building following earthquakes in Caracas, Venezuela, on June 24, 2026. Manaure Quintero /AFP via Getty Images

“We urge our residents to remain calm,” Rodriguez said. “We urge unity.”

Rodriguez also asked all healthcare professionals in the country to inform hospitals to help anyone who has been infected. The Education Ministry said late Wednesday that some schools would be used as shelters and donation centers.

Two powerful earthquakes less than a minute apart

The US Geological Survey said the first quake was centered 17.6 miles northwest of the town of Montalban, and occurred at a depth of 8.2 miles. The earthquake was initially reported as a magnitude 7.1 before it was upgraded to a magnitude of 7.2.

Less than a minute later, a second 7.5-magnitude earthquake occurred just north of the first. Its center was about 21 miles northwest of Montalban.

“This earthquake was the second event in a double. This magnitude 7.5 mainshock was preceded just 39 seconds ago by a magnitude 7.2 foreshock,” the USGS said.

The quakes briefly triggered tsunami warnings for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, according to the National Weather Service’s tsunami warning system. These warnings were later cancelled.

People remained in the streets of Caracas for hours, even after sunset. Some sat on the ground, hugging their pets as dust gathered around them. Collapsed buildings, fallen power poles and debris blocked the streets. Electricity and mobile phone signals were cut off in parts of the capital.

The lack of mobile phone signal in parts of Venezuela has deepened the plight of many families, especially those who were among the more than 7.7 million people who left the country during its protracted crisis.

People evacuated the swaying buildings in Caracas and remained outside, many looking in shock when they saw entire walls collapsed, leaving furniture visible from the street. Dust plumes could also be seen in two of the capital’s neighborhoods, where restaurants and other businesses are usually busy.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the Altamira neighborhood in Caracas was experiencing “worrying conditions” with homes and buildings collapsing. He urged people to stay outside because aftershocks could cause further damage to some buildings.

“We understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to protocols to activate relief and rescue efforts to help those most in need,” Cabello told state television. “Be very careful with children and the elderly, call each other and make sure no one gets hurt.”

He also urged people to stay outside because aftershocks could cause further damage to some buildings.

People walk through debris after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, on June 24, 2026. AP Photo/Ariana Cubios

Maria Alejandra, a woman who survived a building collapse in Caracas, told Reuters that “all the walls cracked” when the quakes struck.

“We were able to open the door as much as we could,” she said. “There was a cloud of smoke that did not allow us to see. When we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie. We had to climb over the rubble and everything. The building supervisor came down with the child and all the neighbors. But from that building, I saw only one family come out.”

An Agence France-Presse journalist saw a completely destroyed 22-storey building in the Altamira neighborhood of Caracas, where people shouted the names of their relatives while volunteers climbed over the rubble.

A collapsed building after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. AP Photo/Adrian Naranjo

“It started gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our homes and go out and gather together,” said Hector Ricci, a resident of Caracas.

“The building really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong,” Caracas resident Roberto Damas said. “We were walking and the tornado was throwing us around. Everything fell into the apartment. Well, thank God we were able to get out.”

Exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado wrote on X: “My heart, endless embrace and prayers are with every Venezuelan home in these hours of pain. May strength, serenity and solidarity prevail among us in the face of this difficult moment.”

In a video message, she encouraged people to help however they can. “We are once again receiving countless generous offers from Venezuelans abroad,” Machado said, adding, “We have to help distribute those supplies in an efficient way. We must accompany and console those who are alone, the elderly who have lost everything, their homes, their possessions, and the children who have lost adult relatives.”

Buildings were evacuated in Manaus, Belem and Macapa in the Brazilian Amazon, Globo TV reports.

The earthquake was also felt in the Caribbean and northeastern Colombia, but there were no reports of damage or injuries. The Colombian Maritime Authority said in a statement that the country’s coast on the Caribbean Sea is not at risk of a tsunami.

Strong earthquakes are unusual in Venezuela.

While the country is located near multiple fault lines, its location straddling the South American and Caribbean plates makes earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America. Along the Pacific coast – in Mexico and Chile, for example – earthquakes are frequent. These two countries are located along a seismically active tectonic belt known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is responsible for 90% of earthquakes, according to the US Geological Survey.

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