Venezuela Hit by Deadly Double Earthquake — Death Toll Rising as Buildings Collapse Across Caracas

Venezuela was struck by two powerful back-to-back earthquakes on Wednesday, triggering widespread destruction across the capital Caracas and surrounding regions, leaving at least 32 people dead and more than 700 injured, with the death toll feared to climb dramatically higher.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck approximately 160 kilometers west of Caracas, followed within seconds by an even stronger magnitude 7.5 tremor. The USGS warned through predictive modeling that the final death toll would most likely run into the thousands, with a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez addressed the nation in the early hours of Thursday, confirming the scale of the catastrophe. “Dozens of buildings have collapsed, and we are currently carrying out very intense rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to save,” she said during a state television appearance. She added, “I also want to say that this is a true tragedy. From here, we send our message of solidarity, and to those families who have lost loved ones, we reaffirm our condolences and our support in these difficult hours.”

Rodriguez confirmed that initial casualty figures did not yet include deaths from La Guaira state — the worst affected area and home to Caracas’s international airport — meaning the true toll is significantly higher than reported.

Three people were confirmed killed in Caracas’s Baruta district after two buildings collapsed. Gustavo Duque, mayor of the Chacao district, told journalists that “we have buildings, homes and houses which have collapsed and we are taking care of things with everything we have available in terms of security, civil assistance.”

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello echoed the severity of the situation on state television. Emergency workers were filmed climbing through the ruins of collapsed structures as night fell, while desperate relatives searched for trapped loved ones.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and terror. “When we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie,” said Maria Alejandra, a resident of a neighboring building. “We had to climb over the rubble and everything. The building superintendent with the baby and all the neighbors coming down. But from that building, I only saw that one family got out.”

Coro Martinez, 56, a resident of eastern Caracas, recalled the moment the quake struck. “There was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas, described the immediate panic. “As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming. Everyone was running down the stairs.”

Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner in southern Caracas, compared the disaster to a historic quake. “This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967,” she said, referencing the deadly 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Caracas decades ago.

Another resident described receiving a phone alert moments before the full force of the quake hit. “As I picked it up and started listening to what it was saying, I first felt light shaking. Then, in less than two seconds, everything started moving.”

A tsunami warning was briefly issued but quickly canceled after the threat passed. Venezuela’s largest airport in Maiquetia was closed due to structural damage, and schools were shut for the remainder of the week as authorities assessed the full extent of destruction.

US President Donald Trump pledged immediate assistance, posting on social media: “The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths.” He confirmed the United States was ready to provide support. Rodriguez thanked international leaders and confirmed the foreign ministry had been instructed to coordinate incoming aid from multiple countries, including rescue teams from El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and others.

Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, including the El Palito refinery near the earthquake’s epicenter, appeared initially unaffected. UK oil firm Shell confirmed all its employees in Venezuela were safe and accounted for.

Venezuela sits on a highly seismically active zone where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate — a fault system that historically caused the catastrophic 1812 earthquake, which killed an estimated 30,000 people in Merida and Caracas.