Two Devastating Earthquakes Strike Venezuela, Killing 188

Caracas, Venezuela – On June 24, two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela in quick succession, causing catastrophic damage across cities from La Guaira to the capital, Caracas. According to updates as of June 25, at least 188 people have died and thousands more have been injured.

The two earthquakes measured 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. Buildings collapsed as the ground shook, trapping many people under the debris.

In the Caracas metropolitan area, residents described terrifying experiences. Maria Gonzalez, 52, from the Chacao district on the outskirts of Caracas, said: “I was at home when the house started shaking violently. At first I thought it was wind through the windows, but when I looked outside and saw everything shaking, I grabbed the door frame and started praying.” She said many items in her home fell and broke.

Although her building was undamaged, Gonzalez chose to stay at Altamira Square, an open area in the town center, waiting for things to return to normal. More than 10 aftershocks followed the main earthquakes. “I stayed outside until three in the morning because every time an aftershock came, I ran out of the house. Many people broke down and cried,” she shared.

Alejandro San Cristobal, 60, was walking on Sucre Street in the Chacao district when the earthquake hit. In panic, he tried to stay away from nearby buildings. “I ran into the middle of the street,” he said. He struggled to keep his balance and noticed cars wobbling on the road as the ground shook. People screamed. “The sound was like a train engine, and there was dust everywhere,” he recalled.

Eunice Arias, 45, works at a currency exchange booth in the Altamira district and felt the earthquake while returning home to La California, another suburb of Caracas. “It was terrifying — the shaking of the buildings, the roar of the columns. Truly terrifying,” she said. She said she had experienced small earthquakes in Venezuela, which sits on the boundary between two tectonic plates, but nothing compared to the seismic activity on June 24, especially with two quakes in succession.

Arias wept as she spoke about her family, who were constantly on her mind during the earthquake. To calm herself, she sat in her car for hours. Her building suffered no major damage, but when she arrived at work on June 25, she found the Altamira area to be one of the hardest hit. “They’re checking my office building to see if we can get in,” she said.

Early on June 25, the Venezuelan capital remained in shock after the earthquakes. Many people slept overnight in public squares, some trying to go to work. In neighborhoods such as Altamira, Los Palos Grandes, and El Paraiso, dozens of families lost their homes.