Clip of building damaged by Taiwan earthquake falsely linked to Venezuela tremor

Major back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela in June 2026 killed hundreds of people and destroyed buildings, but video of a precariously tilting structure circulating on social media was not filmed in the South American nation as posts claim. The clip in fact shows damage caused by a deadly quake that rocked Taiwan's Hualien City in April 2024. "Breaking! Two consecutive major earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, have struck near the northern coast of Venezuela. Initial reports indicate multiple buildings have been damaged," says a Thai-language Facebook post shared on June 25, 2026. An attached video shows an orange building that appears to be titling dangerously, as people walk through dust clouds on the street. The clip was also shared in similar Facebook posts. It emerged after powerful twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela on June 24, destroying buildings and forcing the closure of the country's main airport. At least 235 people were killed and thousands more injured, as offers of support poured in from around the world. Rescue workers and residents were seen clambering over rubble in search of survivors after the disaster, which prompted interim leader Delcy Rodriguez to declare a state of emergency. The circulating video, however, does not show the aftermath of the Venezuela earthquakes. A reverse image search using the keyframes from the falsely shared video found the same clip was posted on X on April 3, 2024, with its caption linking it to an earthquake that rattled Taiwan on the same day. The magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck Hualien City on the east coast of Taiwan was the island's strongest in 25 years; it killed at least 19 people and severely damaged buildings in the area. The building in the circulating clip matches one seen in June 2023 Google Street View imagery of Hualien's Xuanyuan Road. The same tilted building was also captured in multiple photos distributed by AFP. AFP previously debunked claims the same building was damaged by a different earthquake in Taiwan in January 2025.