The U.S. Geological Survey warned that the disaster could be widespread, with “many casualties and damage possible.”
Magnitude 7.1 earthquake shakes Venezuela, triggering tsunami threat
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook north-central Venezuela, triggering a tsunami warning for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, collapsing buildings in the capital Caracas, and scientists warned of potentially heavy casualties and widespread destruction across South America.
The first quake struck around 6:04 p.m. local time about 15 miles east-northeast of San Felipe, Venezuela, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake, initially reported to be magnitude 7.1, had a depth of about 13 miles and an epicenter about 27 miles northwest of Montalbán, Venezuela.
Less than a minute later, the USGS reported a second major earthquake of magnitude 7.5. According to the agency, the earthquake occurred about 22 kilometers southeast of Umalé, Venezuela.
“This earthquake was the first of a double earthquake, with a magnitude 7.2 foreshock followed just 39 seconds by a larger magnitude 7.5 mainshock,” the USGS said in a statement on its website.
The USGS warned that “massive casualties and damage could occur, and the disaster could be widespread.” The agency added that the two quakes could be followed by aftershocks that “may be accompanied by strong shaking.”
Authorities have not released initial estimates of the number of deaths and injuries, but local officials and witnesses have reported increasing numbers of collapsed buildings, rescues and injuries.
“There are collapsed buildings, houses, homes, and we are dealing with it with everything available in terms of security and civilian aid,” Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on state television. “The fire department and police were dispatched.”
The US Embassy in Caracas said it was closely monitoring the effects of the earthquake and urged citizens in the country to seek safe shelter and avoid affected areas. The embassy reported that all Americans had been located.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in a statement on X that the U.S. is in contact with Venezuelan authorities to mobilize aid to the South American country.
“The United States stands with the people of Venezuela in the aftermath of this evening’s devastating earthquake,” Landau said.
Separately, U.S. foreign assistance official Jeremy Lewin said the State Department “has already mobilized disaster relief teams and task forces to provide and coordinate critical assistance to the Venezuelan people.” He added that the United States would send search and rescue teams, medical and humanitarian supplies, and other resources.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said his country had offered assistance to Venezuela.
“300 rescuers and paramedics, 50 tons of equipment, medicine and essential supplies are ready to leave for Caracas,” Bukele said in a post on X.
Gustavo Duque, mayor of Chacao in Caracas, said multiple buildings had collapsed and 18 survivors had been rescued from one building alone. Earlier, Duque said 16 people were injured and another fatality, but he did not give official figures.
Duque called on residents to evacuate to public squares and provide relief due to the possibility of aftershocks. “We will do everything in our power to rescue as many people as possible,” he said.
In the coastal province of Falcon, Governor Victor Clark said on national television that 22 people were injured and 15 were missing.
Delcy Rodríguez, acting president of Venezuela, declared a state of emergency late on June 24 in a short address to the nation following a series of earthquakes and nearly 20 aftershocks that shook the country.
Appearing on state television with his brother, National Assembly Speaker Jorge, and Cabello, Rodriguez said he offered his condolences to the families of those killed, but did not say how many were killed or injured.
Simón Bolívar International Airport in the city of Maiquetia, near Caracas, is closed until further notice due to damage, she said.
Rodriguez, who has been Venezuela’s president since the U.S. military removed former President Nicolas Maduro, was criticized by residents and politicians for not speaking in Venezuela within three hours of the earthquake.
“Two consecutive earthquakes have caused severe damage in Venezuela. Buildings are collapsing and the streets are in panic,” Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González said on the TV show “X”. “Uncertainty is adding another layer of suffering.”
Many Venezuelans were at home celebrating a public holiday commemorating the military victory in 1821 that helped secure independence from Spain when the two earthquakes struck. Residents of Caracas hurriedly evacuated as the earthquake shook buildings across the city.
Witnesses reported feeling shaking in Caracas, Reuters reported. One witness said they were forced to evacuate as the building shook during the earthquake, while another reported cracks appearing in the side of the building. Video footage showed emergency workers climbing into collapsed buildings in the capital as night fell.
“As soon as it started, I started hearing people screaming,” Astrid Ramirez, 41, told Reuters. “Everyone was running down the stairs.”
Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner who lives in southern Caracas, said police helped her escape from her home. “This earthquake was terrifying, even worse than the 1967 earthquake,” she said, referring to the deadly 6.6 magnitude quake that occurred in July 1967.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System initially issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands after the quake, adding that islands off the coast of Venezuela (Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire) could also be hit by dangerous waves.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System announced in an update that the tsunami advisory has been lifted. A message from the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said, “The tsunami threat from this earthquake has passed and there is no further threat.”
Venezuela is located in a seismically active zone where the Caribbean and South American plates meet. The USGS said the magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred as a result of a “shallow strike-slip fault near the complex plate boundary between the Caribbean and South American plates.”
“This earthquake was the main shock of a severe double earthquake that occurred just 39 seconds after a magnitude 7.2 foreshock,” the USGS said on its website. “Doublet sequences (defined as two earthquakes of similar magnitude that occur close in time and in close proximity) may indicate complex rupture interaction processes.”
Although northern Venezuela has a history of large and damaging earthquakes, the USGS noted that only seven earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater have occurred in the past century within about 255 miles of the two quakes that occurred on June 24.
According to the USGS, the region had previously experienced a double earthquake in September 2025, including magnitudes 6.2 and 6.3. These earthquakes killed at least one person, injured more than 110 people, and caused extensive damage.
According to the USGS, “Since 1900, there have been five earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater in northern Venezuela or near the coast.”
According to Michigan Technological University, the size of an earthquake can have the following effects:
- Less than 2.5: I don’t feel it in general.
- 2.5 to 5.4: Minor or no damage.
- 5.5 to 6.0: Minor damage to building.
- 6.1 to 6.9: Serious damage.
- 7.0-7.9: Big earthquake. Serious damage.
- 8.0 or higher: Massive damage can occur and communities can be destroyed.
Contributor: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY. Reuters
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.
