At least 32 people were killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 25, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said, as authorities declared a nationwide state of emergency and launched rescue operations. The quakes caused widespread damage along the northern coast, with the state of La Guaira described as a “disaster zone” and connectivity problems delaying a full accounting of casualties there.
Rodríguez said La Guaira was the hardest hit and called the situation “a true tragedy” on Venezuelan state television, according to Xinhua. She warned that the preliminary toll did not yet include La Guaira because communication links were down, complicating damage assessments and rescue work.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 7.1 quake at 22:04 GMT on Wednesday, followed one minute later by a stronger magnitude 7.5 tremor. Both were shallow — about 10 km deep — and struck near the coastal town of Morón, roughly 160 km west of Caracas, a depth that can amplify surface shaking and destruction.
Rodríguez announced the State of Emergency on X, saying: “Following the strong earthquakes recorded this afternoon in the country, we have declared a State of Emergency throughout the national territory. We call on all citizens to remain alert, safe, and as calm as possible.” She also said Maiquetía airport was closed because of damage and that security forces, medical teams and civil protection units had been deployed nationwide.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reported damage across several cities and said multiple buildings collapsed in the eastern Caracas metropolitan area, though he gave no immediate casualty figures for those sites. Cabello urged residents to avoid staying inside buildings because strong aftershocks could cause further collapses and called for calm and unity as relief efforts proceed.
Colombian media reported that the quakes were strongly felt in several Colombian cities. The USGS warned the pair of shallow, high-magnitude quakes were likely to result in high casualties and extensive damage.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/at-least-32-dead-700-injured-in-venezuelan-earthquakes-acting-president
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Publish Date: 2026-06-25 12:41:00
