Author, News Department
Place of work, BBC Russian Service
Published 25 June 2026, 00:48 GMT
Updated 36 minutes ago
Reading time: 4 min
Two devastating earthquakes in Venezuela have killed at least 188 people, said the chairman of the country's National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez. The number of victims continues to rise; thousands of people are still missing.
According to him, 1,520 people were injured, about 200 remain under the rubble. In addition, the disaster completely deprived at least 2,927 families of their homes, Rodriguez noted.
Acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez earlier declared a state of emergency in the country. She also announced the closure of Caracas International Airport.
Two strong tremors with magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 occurred on Wednesday evening west of the capital of Venezuela.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the first shock occurred at 18:04 local time (01:04 Moscow time), and the second one occurred less than a minute after the first.
The second aftershock was the strongest since 1900, USGS said.
It was followed by 138 aftershocks, Rodriguez said.
The President of the National Assembly also said that 250 buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged, with the heaviest damage occurring in the state of La Guaira, north of the capital Caracas.
Speaking on national television, Rodriguez said Venezuela was facing "serious disruptions" to infrastructure and vital services.
“High casualties and widespread damage are likely, and the disaster is likely to be widespread,” the US Geological Survey said, noting that preliminary estimates put the death toll at between 10,000 and 100,000.
Many Venezuelans were at home during the earthquake - on this day the country celebrated the anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo (1821), when the army of Simon Bolivar defeated Spanish troops and ensured the independence of Venezuela.
Many residents of Caracas, who ran out into the streets, recalled the previous devastating earthquake that occurred in 1967. Then, residential buildings collapsed in two areas of Caracas, Palos Grandes and Altamira. In total, more than 200 people died.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello mentioned these two areas when he spoke on state television about the destroyed buildings. According to the minister, the earthquake was also felt in the states of Trujillo, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Aragua, Miranda and La Guaira.”
Maria Romero, an 80-year-old retiree from southern Caracas, told Reuters that police helped her get out of her house. “This earthquake was terrible, even worse than 1967,” she added.
The head of the municipality of Chacao, Gustavo Duque Saez, says that in this part of Caracas at least two buildings have completely collapsed and others are seriously damaged.
He said 18 people had been rescued from the rubble and more than 500 rescuers were now on the scene trying to evacuate other residents.
He also urged locals trying to find missing relatives to go to the city's two main squares - Altamira and Palos Grandes - where local authorities have set up an emergency center to gather information and provide water and shelter to victims.
The authorities of other countries located on the American continent express condolences and offer support to Venezuela. Among them is US President Donald Trump.
“The two major earthquakes that have just struck the great people of Venezuela are of enormous magnitude and have claimed many lives. The US is ready, willing and able to help! I have instructed all departments of our government to prepare for swift action. We will be close to our new and great friends,” he wrote on the social network TruthSocial.
