Venezuela earthquakes: At least 32 dead, 700 injured; La Guaria a disaster zone, says Delcy Rodriguez

At least 32 people are dead and 700 injured after back-to-back powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening (June 24, 2026), Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said. Addressing the nation early Thursday (June 25, 2026), Ms. Rodriguez said, “At this time, we have received reports of 32 deaths” and “more than 700 injured,” adding she did not yet have data on the “hardest-hit region” of La Guaira, located near the capital. She warned the toll was expected to rise as rescuers searched collapsed buildings and emergency crews reached devastated areas after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes roiled the region.“Dozens of buildings have collapsed, and we are engaged in the arduous task of rescuing the lives that God allows us to save. The state of La Guaira is facing a true tragedy and has become a disaster zone,” she said. Ms. Rodriguez earlier said 20 aftershocks had followed the twin earthquakes. People look at a collapsed building in the Altamira neighbourhood following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. | Photo Credit: AFP The earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the same area of Venezuela on Wednesday (June 26, 2026), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), causing buildings in the capital to crumble and forcing the closure of the country’s main airport. The first quake, with an epicenter 21 kilometers (13 miles) west of the coastal town of Moron, occurred at 2204 GMT, USGS said. Within a minute, a 7.5-magnitude quake struck about 45 kilometers away.