Venezuela declares emergency after twin 7.2 and 7.5 quakes strike 39 seconds apart, USGS warns of up to 100,000 dead

The double quake

Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela within 39 seconds of each other on Wednesday evening, the US Geological Survey reported. The first, a magnitude 7.2 foreshock, hit at 18:04 local time (22:04 UTC) at a depth of 21.9 km, roughly 200 km west of Caracas. The second, a magnitude 7.5 mainshock, followed at a shallow depth of 10 km, about 45 km from the first epicentre. More than 20 strong aftershocks kept the population on edge through the night.

Casualties and damage

No official national death toll has been released, but local officials reported at least four dead in the Caracas area. Three people died in the Baruta district after two buildings collapsed, the mayor said. One person was killed in Chacao, where four buildings collapsed entirely, according to mayor Gustavo Duque. In the coastal state of Falcón, governor Víctor Clark said 22 people were injured and 15 adults are missing. The USGS warned that fatalities could range from 10,000 to 100,000, describing the disaster as likely "widespread".

“The number of victims is likely to be high and the destruction will probably be extensive.”

Emergency response

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a national state of emergency, suspending schools, railways, and the Simón Bolívar International Airport, which suffered severe damage. She confirmed there were deaths but gave no figure. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello ordered gas supplies cut to prevent accidents and urged residents to leave unstable buildings. More than 500 rescuers worked through the night, pulling at least 18 people alive from the rubble. In the Altamira district, a 22-storey apartment block collapsed completely.

“It was unbelievable, I don't even know how long it lasted. I was on the top floor and things started falling.”

International reaction

US President Donald Trump said the quakes had left a "catastrophic number of dead" and offered immediate assistance. "The USA is ready, willing and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to prepare for immediate mobilisation," he posted on Truth Social. Rodríguez thanked Trump for his support. Rescue teams from other countries were expected to arrive within hours. The US tsunami warning system initially warned of possible destructive waves for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, but later cancelled the alert, confirming no tsunami threat.

Aftershocks and ongoing risks

Seismologists recorded over 20 significant aftershocks following the mainshock, the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900. Power and water networks were damaged, and gas leaks prompted preventive shutoffs. The quakes were felt as far away as Bogotá, Colombia, 1,000 km from Caracas. With communications disrupted and many areas still inaccessible, the full scale of destruction remains unclear. Rescuers continue to search for survivors, with voices heard calling from beneath collapsed structures.