CARACAS, Venezuela — A pair of massive, rapid-fire earthquakes struck northwest and central Venezuela within a single minute of each other on Wednesday evening, June 24, 2026 collapsing buildings, knocking out power, and triggering widespread panic across the nation.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed early Thursday morning that at least 32 people have been killed and over 700 others are injured. Officials warned the casualties are expected to rise significantly as emergency crews’ claw through the rubble of flattened high-rises.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the disaster was a rare "doublet" earthquake event, occurring during a national holiday evening rush when many citizens were at home.

The disaster began at 6:04 PM local time when a powerful magnitude 7.2 foreshock struck the Veroes municipality of Yaracuy State at a depth of roughly 22 kilometers. Just 39 seconds later, before residents could even process the initial shaking, a second and even more violent magnitude 7.5 main shock ruptured the same fault line at a shallower depth of 10 kilometers.

The back-to-back tremors rank among the strongest seismic events recorded in Venezuela in over a century, sending shockwaves so intense they were felt as far as the Brazilian Amazon, more than 1,000 miles away.

A national state of emergency has been declared, with the coastal state of La Guaira, just north of the capital, designated a full disaster zone. "Dozens of buildings have collapsed and we are engaged in the arduous task of rescuing the lives that God allows us to save," Acting President Rodríguez said in a televised address. "The state of La Guaira is facing a true tragedy."

In Caracas, the upscale Altamira and Los Palos Grandes neighborhoods were among the hardest hit. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello described the situation as "alarming," confirming that multiple structures had buckled entirely, including a 22-story residential building that suffered a total collapse. Thick plumes of grey dust choked the streets as terrified residents fled swaying high-rises into open plazas.

The country’s infrastructure has taken a massive hit. The main international gateway, Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, suffered severe structural damage and has been completely shut down, grounding all flights.

As more than 20 aftershocks continued to rattle the region, thousands of families chose to camp out on the asphalt long after sunset, wrapped in blankets and holding onto their pets, too terrified to return indoors.

Widespread power outages and a near-total collapse of cellular networks have paralyzed parts of Caracas, deepening the psychological distress for locals and millions of Venezuelan migrants abroad desperately attempting to check on loved ones.

"The building really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong," Roberto Damas, a resident of Caracas, told reporters.

The tragedy has drawn immediate international attention. In the United States, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the quakes were "massive in scale" and stated that the U.S. "stands ready, willing, and able to help," instructing government agencies to prepare rapid aid deployment. Rodríguez later noted that her administration has been in contact with U.S. authorities during the unfolding crisis.

International rescue teams are expected to arrive in the coming hours to assist local crews, who are working around the clock under floodlights, using thermal imaging and rescue dogs to find signs of life beneath the concrete.

The Ministry of Education has announced that unaffected schools are being converted into emergency shelters and donation centers as the nation braces for a long, painful recovery.