Twin Earthquakes of Magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 Strike Venezuela; Official Final Toll 6,509 Dead
On June 24, 2026, two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela about 32 seconds apart. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 7.2 foreshock hit at 22:04 UTC (6:04 p.m. local time), centered about 20 kilometers east of San Felipe in Yaracuy State at a depth of 10 kilometers, followed at 22:05 UTC by a magnitude 7.5 mainshock centered about 20 kilometers west of Catia La Mar, off the coast of La Guaira State, also at a depth of 10 kilometers. The USGS issued a red PAGER alert for the mainshock, indicating high casualties and widespread damage were probable.
The twin quakes devastated La Guaira State, where large numbers of buildings collapsed, and were felt strongly in the capital, Caracas. They were the strongest earthquakes in Venezuela since the 1900 San Narciso earthquake. Rescue teams from Venezuela and multiple countries, including U.S. Marine search-and-rescue units, worked through collapsed buildings in La Guaira in the weeks that followed.
On August 24, two months after the earthquakes, Venezuelan officials released a final death toll of 6,509. The authorities have not published a unified official figure for the missing; hospital-treated injuries were consolidated at about 226,696 in official reporting. The toll figures in this report are the official counts confirmed as of August 2026, not the preliminary numbers reported in the first days after the disaster.
Related: Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake off Mindanao, Philippines Kills 94, Injures More Than 1,300
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国海军陆战队第24远征队在委内瑞拉拉瓜伊拉参与震后搜救。U.S. Marines 24MEU，Cpl. Daniel Garcia 摄，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: U.S. Marines of the 24th MEU take part in search and rescue in La Guaira, Venezuela, after the earthquakes. Photo by Cpl. Daniel Garcia, U.S. Marines 24MEU, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
