USGS's predictive modelling estimates death toll of 10,000 or more
Thousands of Venezuelans were feared dead on Thursday aftertwo powerful earthquakeswreaked havoc in. around the capital Caracas, trapping people beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings and setting off powerful aftershocks.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160km (100 miles) west of Caracas on Wednesday afternoon. followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey.
Emergency workers scrambled over the debris of collapsed buildings in Caracas as night fell. while distraught relatives sought help for loved ones feared trapped. Dazed survivors were taken away, some on stretchers.
"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.
"We had to climb over the rubble and everything. The building superintendent with the baby and all the neighbours coming down. But from that building, I only saw that one family got out."
Fanny Nasri waits at the site of a collapsed building as emergency workers search for her son. Antonio Nasri, alongside Noemi Cordoba, who awaits news of her granddaughter, after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, June 25, 2026. Photo: REUTERS
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said at least 164 people were confirmed dead. The initial toll did not include those from the worst-affected La Guaira state, near Caracas. home to the city's airport, where witnesses' footage showed scenes of panic as ceilings came down.
"Dozens of buildings have collapsed,. we are currently carrying out very intense rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to save," she said on state television just before 1am local time (0500 GMT) on Thursday.
"La Guaira state is a true tragedy, and has become a disaster zone."
The US Geological Survey (USGS). using predictive modelling to estimate the death toll, said it would most likely run into the thousands, with a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000.
A website set up to track missing people. posted on X by leaders from the country's opposition, many of whom are outside the country, listed more than 10,000 people as unaccounted for at 5.40 am local time (0940 GMT).
Many Venezuelans were at home when the quakes struck during a public holiday.
"There was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I've never experienced anything like it," said Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas.
Last night's earthquake was the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900, says USGS
Wednesday’s earthquake was the largest in Venezuela in more than a century,CNNreported in the backdrop of data provided by the USGS.
The country’s largest quake on record took place in 1900. when a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Venezuela's northern coast, close to its capital Caracas. The epicentre of that quake was only a few hundred kilometres from the epicentre of Wednesday’s.
Wednesday’s second quake was the next largest, with a 7.5 magnitude. The foreshock – just 40 seconds before – with a 7.2 magnitude. is listed as the fourth biggest quake in the country, just behind a 2018 quake.
A general view of a collapsed building after earthquakes hit the country, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 25, 2026. Photo: REUTERS
US president offers help
Aftershocks rattled Caracas into the early hours of Thursday.
Rodriguez said the country was focused on rescue efforts. including the arrival in the coming hours of rescue crews from other countries, as she thanked leaders, including US PresidentDonald Trump.
Trump said in a social media post that 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. have left a devastating number of deaths. The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help!” - President Donald J. Trumppic.twitter.com/laeZ9nvTMf
"The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale. have left a devastating number of deaths," said Trump, who ordered the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a violent raid in January.
The UN's Venezuela human rights mission urged the government to liftlocal restrictionson social media, saying it was a "matter of life. death". In some areas. access had already become available as authorities struggled to cope in a country weighed down by years ofeconomic mismanagement.
Residents rush into the streets
Wilmer Azuaje, a former Venezuelan lawmaker, captured the moment the quake hit Maiquetia Airport, sending masonry. clouds of dust falling.
"Everyone, the situation we're experiencing here is serious. A high-magnitude earthquake. Look at how everything ended up," he said while videoing the scene.
Rodriguez said the airport had been closed, complicating the rescue effort.
Residents across Caracas. which was also hit by a deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake in 1967, rushed to evacuate as buildings shook.
"As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming," said Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas. "Everyone was running down the stairs."
Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner in southern Caracas, said police helped her get out of her home. "This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967," she said.
Another resident. a 41-year-old office worker who declined to be named, said she received an earthquake alert on her phone just before the shaking intensified.
"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."
Leaders from countries including El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Spain offered support and sympathy. The US State Department said it was in touch with Venezuelan authorities and mobilising assistance.
Venezuela lies in a seismically active zone where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate.
An estimated 30,000 people were killed when a quake caused widespread destruction in Merida. Caracas in 1812, according to the USGS.
A man reacts at the site of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. Photo: REUTERS
Hospitals brace for the injured
At Caracas' Hospital de Clinicas. staff doubled up on the night shift to help treat the injured, a worker there said.
School classes were cancelled for the rest of the week. The city's stock exchange was closed and will be used to help rescue efforts.
The Venezuelan Red Cross said its headquarters had been critically damaged. that it had sent rescue teams to the worst-affected areas. France said its embassy was badly damaged.
Venezuela's oil infrastructure did not immediately appear to have been affected. Civil protection authorities in Maracaibo, near the large oil hub of Lake Maracaibo, said no injuries were reported. A worker at the El Palito refinery near Morón — the earthquake's epicenter — said there was no damage there.
UK oil firm Shell. which is evaluating developing gas fields in Venezuela, said all its employees were accounted for with no injuries.
One source said an extended loss of power could hit crude output levels. Venezuela's oil ministry, state-run oil company PDVSA. its main foreign partner, Chevron, did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
PM Shehbaz expresses deep sorrow over loss of life
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life. destruction caused by the earthquakes in Venezuela.
Deeply saddened by the devastation. loss of life caused by the earthquakes in Venezuela.On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Venezuela, especially the families of the victims. We pray for the injured and…
“On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the Government. people of Venezuela, especially the families of the victims,” he wrote.
PM Shehbaz also offered prayers for those injured in the disaster. said that Pakistan "stands in solidarity with all those affected during this difficult and challenging time.”
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