Two strong earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Thursday caused heavy damage to homes and buildings in several parts of the country as rescue teams raced to search for survivors beneath collapsed buildings, resulting in at least 188 deaths and over 1,500 injuries.
Rapid succession of high-magnitude tremors
The first earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.2, struck around 6 pm (local time) 23km south-east of Yumare, located west of the capital Caracas, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The second earthquake, measuring 7.5 magnitude, struck a similar location at a gap of merely 38 seconds.
Geographic spread of structural collapses
The second quake turned out to be lethal as shaking, particularly from the second earthquake, let to damage or completely collapse of buildings in Caracas and the nearby seaside city of La Guaira.
Resident walk among damaged building after an earthquake in La Guaira, Venezuela. (AP Photo)
Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said other states have also been affected due to earthquakes, including Miranda, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Carabobo and Aragua, BBC reported.
Critical infrastructure and airport closures
The main airport of Venezuela, located in the outskirts of Caracas, has been shut after the two quakes caused serious damage, country’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said.
#URGENTE En la Guaira, Playa Grande colapsaron más de cuatro edificios al mismo tiempo: Oasis Beach, Punta Brisas, Punta Brava y las Palmas. pic.twitter.com/U0PdjG7d1e
— Andrews Abreu (@AndrewsAbreu) June 25, 2026
Some videos on social media showed dust and debris falling falling from the ceiling inside the terminal.
Complete destruction of the coastal hospitality sector
A 10-storey hotel in La Guaira, Eduard’s Hotel, was completely destroyed and reduced to rubble after the earthquakes.
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The BBC report stated that only the entrance of the hotel was visibly standing and the rest of the structure was turned into rubble.
Seismological depth analysis and casualty projections
The first earthquake, which was at a depth of 20.3 kms below the surface, might not have done heavy damage but the second quake, which was at a depth of 10 kms as per the USGS, could have played major role in the destruction of properties and loss of lives due to its proximity to the surface.
USGS has estimated 44 percent chance of more than 10,000 deaths.