USGS fears ‘high casualties’ after two major Venezuela earthquakes
Two important earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela on June 24, 2026, causing buildings to collapse, widespread damage, and panic, especially in Caracas. The USGS reported a magnitude 7.1 quake followed shortly by a more powerful 7.5 tremor, both near Morón, with shallow depths enhancing their impact.Authorities issued a red alert due to the high risk of casualties and infrastructural damage. Rescue operations were underway amid reports of collapsed buildings, damaged homes, and power outages. Social media videos showed residents fleeing as structures crumbled. The tremors were also felt in neighboring Colombia, prompting evacuations. The U.S. Tsunami Warning system briefly issued alerts for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, later canceled.Venezuela’s location along tectonic plate boundaries makes earthquakes frequent, though such destructive events are less common. Other recent seismic activity included a 5.6 quake in Northern California, causing injuries and power outages, and a 6.9 magnitude quake off Japan’s northeastern coast, with no significant damages reported.
Two powerful earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela on Wednesday, collapsing buildings, triggering panic across the country and capital of Caracas, and prompting the U.S. Geological Survey to warn that “high casualties and extensive damage are probable.”
The USGS said a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Morón, about 130 miles west of Caracas, at a depth of about 8 miles. Just 39 seconds later, a stronger 7.5-magnitude quake struck nearby at a shallower depth of about 6 miles.
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The agency issued a red alert on its Pager system, estimating a high likelihood of significant fatalities and infrastructural losses.
Venezuelan authorities had not immediately issued casualty figures, but emergency crews were responding to reports of collapsed buildings, damaged homes, and widespread power outages. Interior Minister Diosado Cabello said rescue efforts were underway and urged residents to remain outdoors because of the risk of aftershocks. He also asked the public to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles.
Videos posted on social media showed residents fleeing into the streets as buildings crumbled and dust filled the sky. The tremors were felt across neighboring Colombia, where some buildings were evacuated as a precaution.
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The U.S Tsunami Warning System briefly issued tsunami alerts for Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands before later cancelling them.
Venezuela sits along the boundary where the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates interact, making earthquakes a recurring hazard. While the country experiences hundreds of small earthquakes each year, Wednesday’s destructive shock is less common.
Several other seismic events were reported across the world in the past 24 hours.
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Earlier Wednesday, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake rattled Northern California near Redwood Valley in Mendocino County, injuring several people, knocking out power, and triggering dozens of aftershocks. Officials reported no fatalities or major structural collapses.
Later, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast early Thursday local time. Japanese officials reported no immediate injuries or significant damage, and no tsunami warning was issued.
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