Devastating Double Earthquakes in Venezuela Kill 164, Injure 971

Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela consecutively on the evening of June 25, killing at least 164 people and injuring 971 in the capital Caracas and nearby regions. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the first quake, magnitude 7.2, at 6:04 p.m. local time, approximately 160 kilometers west of Caracas. Less than a minute later, a second quake of magnitude 7.5 hit. The Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency. According to the USGS, using predictive models, the death toll could reach thousands and has a high probability of exceeding 10,000.

The worst damage occurred in Caracas, particularly in the Altamira district, where rescue teams are searching for victims in the rubble of a 22-story building. Rescuers have pulled several survivors from the debris, while relatives of the missing wait in anguish. Officials said they are still assessing the overall extent of the damage. The USGS also warned that strong aftershocks could occur in the coming days.

Venezuela – A Land Prone to Earthquakes

Venezuela has a long history of devastating earthquakes due to its location at the boundary between the Caribbean plate and the South American plate. In 1812, a powerful earthquake hit the cities of Merida and Caracas, killing around 30,000 people. In 1967, another earthquake struck Caracas, causing several high-rise buildings to collapse and killing 240 people.

The USGS reported that the larger of the two June 25 quakes was caused by a shallow strike-slip fault near the boundary of the Caribbean and South American plates. Shallow earthquakes can be particularly destructive because the energy released travels a shorter distance before reaching people and structures.

Why Is Central America Prone to Earthquakes?

The region, home to about 50 million people, sits at the intersection of several tectonic plates, including a subduction zone where the Cocos plate slides beneath the Caribbean plate. A large percentage of Central America's population lives in informal housing or in older, poorly constructed buildings not designed to withstand strong shaking, making the region highly vulnerable to earthquakes.

Earthquake History in Central America

• February 2010: A magnitude 8.7 earthquake in the Maule region of central Chile triggered a tsunami, killing more than 500 people and causing billions of dollars in damage.
• September 2012: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. In November of the same year, at least 52 people died in Guatemala from the region's largest earthquake in more than three decades – magnitude 7.4.
• June 2017: A magnitude 6.9 earthquake in western Guatemala near the Mexico border killed 5 people.
• January 2018: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake near the coast of Honduras sent aftershocks across northern Central America and triggered a tsunami warning.
• April 2022: A magnitude 6.7 earthquake off the western coast of Nicaragua.
• 2025: A damaging earthquake struck wide areas of Guatemala.

Earthquake-Prone Regions of the World

The Pacific Ring of Fire is the most seismically active region on Earth, accounting for about 90% of the world's earthquakes. The belt stretches from South America to Russia's Far East, including Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the western Americas. On June 8, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake off the southern Philippines triggered tsunami warnings in multiple countries, with at least 15 people believed dead. On June 26, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off northern Japan.

Japan, one of the world's most earthquake-prone nations, enforces strict building codes that allow many structures to survive strong tremors. These efforts stand in stark contrast to conditions in much of Central America and Indonesia, where poorly constructed buildings often collapse during quakes. In most continental earthquakes, the majority of casualties and damage come from building collapses, not from the shaking itself.