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View all search resultsVenezuela declares state of emergency after powerful twin quakes
Delcy Rodriguez said 20 aftershocks had followed the earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, which struck the same area of Venezuela, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
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People look at a collapsed building in the Altamira neighbourhood following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the same area of Venezuela on the evening of June 24, causing buildings to collapse, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and AFP journalists. (AFP/Federico Parra)
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enezuela's interim leader declared a state of emergency Wednesday as two massive earthquakes caused buildings in the capital to crumble and forced the closure of the country's main airport, prompting US President Donald Trump to offer aid.
Delcy Rodriguez said 20 aftershocks had followed the earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, which struck the same area of Venezuela, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The quakes triggered panic in the capital and drove people into the streets, AFP journalists saw.
"The stairs came away, the whole wall cracked. Things fell from the ceiling. It was horrible," said 54-year-old bank employee Odalis Escalona.
It remained unknown if there were fatalities, but some people were injured and buildings had collapsed, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said.
Trump said late Wednesday that "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."
"The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly," the American president wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good!!!"
An AFP journalist saw a 22-story building completely destroyed in the capital's Altamira neighborhood, where people cried out relatives' names as volunteers climbed over the rubble.
"We need flashlights," one of them said.
The first quake, with an epicenter 21 kilometers (13 miles) west of the coastal town of Moron, occurred at 2204 GMT, USGS said. Within a minute, a 7.5-magnitude quake struck about 45 kilometers away.
"This earthquake was the second event in a doublet. This magnitude 7.5 mainshock was preceded by 39 seconds by a 7.2 foreshock," USGS said.
US President Donald Trump said the US was ready, willing and able to help in the disaster.
"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," Trump said.
Video footage showed emergency workers climbing through the ruins of a collapsed building in the capital as night fell, while distraught relatives sought help for loved ones believed to be trapped.
"When we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie," said Maria Alejandra, a resident from a nearby building, who did not give her surname.
