A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160 km west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon, toppling buildings in the capital Caracas, trapping people in the rubble and prompting scientists to warn of potentially heavy casualties and widespread destruction.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160 km west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Below is a glimpse of the widespread destruction.
Rescuers search for victims in a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —AFPRescue workers carry a person on a stretcher out of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —AFPPeople pray as they gather after an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —ReutersA rescuer looks at the rubble of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —AFPRescuers search for victims in a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —AFPA woman walks with kids after an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —ReutersPeople remain in the street after an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. — ReutersPeople run into a street following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. — ReutersPolice officers and rescuers work at the site of damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —ReutersPolice officers and rescuers work at the site of damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —ReutersPeople react during an earthquake at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. — ReutersPeople gather on a street next to a damaged car and building following an earthquake in Valencia, Venezuela on June 24, 2026. —AFPPeople walk past debris after an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —ReutersEmergency services work at the site of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —ReutersPeople ride past a collapsed building after an earthquake, in La Guaira, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —Reuters
Header image: Rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building in the Altamira neighborhood following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —AFP
