2 major earthquakes strike northern Venezuela, near Caracas

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. The Americas 2 major earthquakes strike northern Venezuela, near Caracas June 24, 202611:11 PM ET Emma Bowman Rescuers search for victims in a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. Juan Barreto/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Juan Barreto/Getty Images Two major, back-to-back earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday, reducing buildings to rubble in the nearby capital of Caracas. An initial earthquake at about 6 p.

2-magnitude foreshock, was followed less than a minute later by a 7. 5-magnitude earthquake in the same area, according to the U. Rescue workers carry a person on a stretcher out of a collapsed building.

The Details

Juan Barreto/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Juan Barreto/Getty Images The epicenters, which USGS estimated to be about 3 miles apart, were near the town of Morón on Venezuela's Caribbean coast, some 100 miles west of Caracas. "When the earthquakes are this close together" in time, said Paul Earle, a seismologist at USGS, "it can be difficult to unravel the exact magnitudes and the exact locations, especially for the second event," due to the way the signals on seismograms overlap in these cases. A damaged building at Los Palos Grandes after a magnitude 7.

2-foreshock struck Venezuela. Jesus Vargas/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Jesus Vargas/Getty Images Photos and video posted to social media showed leveled buildings, people running for safety, and falling debris from structural damage at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas. The airport has since closed.

Sponsor Message The total number of deaths and injuries is not yet clear. On Wednesday evening, USGS modeling of the 7. 5-magnitude earthquake estimated deaths could be in the thousands to tens of thousands, with economic losses reaching billions to tens of billions of dollars, Earle said.

What Experts Say

"This doesn't happen very often," Earle said. "When they're right together it's hard to understand what would happen. " The strongest of the "doublet," as the USGS described the twin quakes, is the largest earthquake to strike Venezuela since 1900, when a 7.

7-magnitude quake hit the country, according to USGS. About a half-hour after the Venezuela quakes, a 6. 9-magnitude earthquake hit the east coast of Japan.

Earlier Wednesday, a 5. 6-magnitude quake struck Northern California. There was no major damage reported in either quake.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.