Venezuela earthquake: What we know so far

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Watch: Moment earthquake hits Venezuela and leaves buildings collapsed By Harry Sekulich  and  Joel Guinto Published 25 June 2026, 03:33 BST Updated 35 minutes ago At least 32 people have been killed and 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes rocked Venezuela's capital city within seconds of each other on Wednesday, Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has said. The second quake was one of the strongest tremors to hit the South American country in a century, at a magnitude of 7.5. Buildings collapsed and residents ran into to the streets for safety as the twin quakes struck. Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and said airport, rail and transport services had been halted. Rescuers are racing to find survivors who may be trapped beneath rubble, with fears the death toll could rise. Follow latest updates 'I thought building would fall on top of me' - Venezuelans describe earthquake panic Published 5 hours ago Where and when did the quakes hit? Both earthquakes shook the capital Caracas - home to around 5 million people - around 18:04 local time (22:04 GMT) on Wednesday. The first was magnitude 7.2 and struck the state of Yaracuy to the west of Caracas at a depth of 22km, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Thirty-nine seconds later, a stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck nearby at a depth of about 10km. While both epicentres were outside the capital, powerful tremors were felt across the city - causing buildings to shake and some to collapse entirely. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said multiple states had been affected by the quake, and more than 20 aftershocks have since been felt across the country. They have largely affected its northern coastline, including La Guaira, Aragua, Carabobo and Falcón. Meanwhile, tremors were felt as far away as the Colombian capital Bogotá, more than 1,000km (630 miles) away. Cabello said that in Caracas the worst hit areas were the neighbourhoods of Los Palos Grandes and Altamira. They were also among the worst affected in 1967, when the last major earthquake to hit the Venezuelan capital struck, killing 200 people and destroying buildings. The quakes hit while the country was celebrating a national holiday, meaning more people would have been at home than usual. What is the death toll? Rodríguez said at least 32 people had died and 700 others were injured. She said she did not yet have on the "hardest-hit region" of La Guaira, north of the capital. It is likely that the toll will climb as rescue efforts continue. The USGS said there was a 36% chance it could hit up to 10,000 and a 40% chance it could reach 100,000. US president Donald Trump referred to a "devastating number of deaths" in a post on Truth Social. Emergency crews and officials are still working to rescue anyone trapped under rubble. The area where the quakes struck is particularly vulnerable, the USGS noted. It