Yesterday afternoon (June 24, 2026), northern and central Venezuela was hit by an extremely powerful and rare seismic phenomenon — the so-called “seismic doublet.” Within a space of just 39 seconds, two catastrophic earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale struck the country. Due to its enormous force, the impact leveled or severely damaged entire neighborhoods in the capital, Caracas, as well as in surrounding states.
Officials (including acting President Delcy Rodriguez) have confirmed at least 164 deaths and nearly 1000 injuries. However, the toll is feared to be much higher as thousands are still missing under the rubble and communications are cut off. The capital city Caracas and the coastal region (which has been declared a disaster zone) are among hardest hit. In part of Caracas, a 22-story skyscraper collapsed completely, and dozens of other tall buildings partially or completely collapsed.
The main Simon Bolivar International Airport suffered extensive damage and all flights were canceled. The government cut off the gas supply to Caracas to prevent explosions, and the metro system was completely shut down. Rescue teams from across the region, including the Red Cross from neighboring Colombia, are currently on the ground trying to reach survivors under the rubble, but the work is being further complicated by constant aftershocks.
The quake was felt across the Caribbean (Venezuela exits on Caribbean Sea), especially on the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, which are only a hundred kilometers north of the epicenter. Fortunately, the catastrophe that befell the mainland was avoided there. A yellow alert has been issued for these islands. The earthquake caused widespread panic among locals and tourists as buildings and hotels shook violently. However, the Curacao Meteorological Service quickly confirmed that there was no serious damage to infrastructure or injuries.
More about this unfortunate event can be read here (many wordwide news covered this, I handpicked just few):
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/24/weather/live-news/venezuela-earthquake-puerto-rico-tsunami
