The most powerful earthquake of the century caused massive devastation in Venezuela, fear of 10 thousand to one lakh deaths, buildings collapsed in the capital.

Caracas/New Delhi. Two powerful consecutive earthquakes caused huge devastation in the Latin American country Venezuela late Wednesday night (early Thursday morning Indian time). In many areas including the capital Caracas, large buildings collapsed and hundreds of people were buried under the debris. The US Geological Survey (USGS) has described it as Venezuela’s most powerful earthquake in the last 100 years and preliminary estimates have predicted the death toll of 10 thousand to one lakh people.

How did two consecutive earthquakes occur?

On June 24, 2026, at 3:34 pm (Indian time), the first powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.1 to 7.2 occurred in Venezuela, whose epicenter was near Moron and San Felipe region, about 160 km west of Caracas. Mere seconds later, at 3:35 p.m., a second, more powerful earthquake struck, registering a magnitude of 7.5. The epicenter of the second earthquake was near the Montalbán region, located about 100 miles west of the capital, Caracas.

Tsunami alert and then relief

Immediately after the earthquake, the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of Puerto Rico, the US and British Virgin Islands, Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. However, after assessing the situation about an hour later, this warning was withdrawn.

Huge devastation in the capital Caracas

By nightfall, reports of collapse of many buildings started coming from the Altamira and Chacao areas of the capital Caracas. Rescue teams immediately started rescue operations and at least 18 people were pulled out alive from the debris in the Chacao area. 22 people have been confirmed injured in Falcon State, while 15 people are still reported missing.

Preparedness for emergencies and international aid

Acting President Delsey Rodriguez, in an address to the nation, said the government was closely monitoring the situation. He has talked about declaring emergency soon and seeking international assistance. Myketia International Airport was closed as a precautionary measure after the earthquake and a holiday was declared in many schools. However, no major damage to oil production and energy infrastructure has been confirmed so far.

Why does Venezuela remain vulnerable to earthquakes?

Venezuela is located at the meeting zone of the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate, due to which there is frequent seismic activity and there is always a risk of a major earthquake.

History of major earthquakes in Venezuela

The most devastating earthquake in the country’s history occurred on March 26, 1812, when a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in Caracas and Merida killed about 30 thousand people. After this, on July 29, 1967, an earthquake of 6.3 magnitude occurred in Caracas, in which many multi-storey buildings collapsed and 200 to 300 people died. Recently, on August 21, 2018, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake occurred in the sea near the northern coast, whose tremors were felt as far as Trinidad-Tobago and Colombia, but due to the epicenter being in the sea, there was no major damage.