{"id":517682,"date":"2026-06-25T12:15:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T12:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/517682\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T12:15:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T12:15:16","slug":"thousands-feared-dead-as-venezuela-struck-by-massive-back-to-back-earthquakes-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/517682\/","title":{"rendered":"Thousands feared dead as Venezuela struck by massive back-to-back earthquakes \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Main PointsTwo powerful earthquakes have struck\u00a0Venezuela<\/a>, killing at least 164 people and injuring almost 1000 more.A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160km west of Caracas, followed \u200cless than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 magnitude tremor, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).The USGS, using predictive modelling to estimate the death toll, said it would most likely run into the thousands, with a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000.<\/p>\n

Nora-\u00cdde McAuliffe – 6 minutes ago<\/p>\n

Disaster comes at decisive moment in Venezuela\u2019s history <\/p>\n

Venezuela is rich in oil and other resources but is still trying to emerge from a decade-long depression that wiped out most of its economic production and led millions to flee the country. Its rescue services have been hollowed out, infrastructure has been left to rot and inflation has reached record highs, compounding the challenges of the recovery.<\/p>\n

The disaster comes at a decisive moment in Venezuela\u2019s modern history, less than six months after the US military raid that removed the long-ruling autocrat, Nicol\u00e1s Maduro. His arrest by US forces in January has transformed the country from a US adversary into an effective satellite state.<\/p>\n

The earthquakes are expected to be the worst humanitarian disaster in Venezuela in decades. The hard-hit port of La Guaira is still scarred by devastating landslides in 1999 that are estimated to have killed at least 15,000.<\/p>\n

The earthquakes are likely to scramble the complex tussle for power and fortune that has followed Maduro\u2019s downfall. His former vice president, Delcy Rodr\u00edguez, took over as president with Washington\u2019s blessing but has faced growing popular discontent \u2014 and is resisting calls for new elections.<\/p>\n

In the hours after the quakes, Rodr\u00edguez called for national unity and pointed to the promises of international aid received by her government, including from US president Donald Trump. Her handling of the disaster, however, will be scrutinized by Venezuelan voters hungry for political change, as well as the emboldened opposition.<\/p>\n

Venezuela in recent months has become an arena for investors scrambling to profit from Rodr\u00edguez\u2019s campaign to open up the oil and mining industries to Western capital and restructure its pile of public debt, one of the world\u2019s largest. Many foreign companies had cited the poor state of the country\u2019s infrastructure as an investment obstacle, a problem that will be exacerbated by the earthquakes. – New York Times<\/p>\n

Nora-\u00cdde McAuliffe – 34 minutes ago<\/p>\n

Rescue crews intensify search for survivors <\/p>\n

Rescue crews intensified their search for survivors on Thursday as Venezuelans began to grapple with the scale of the devastation caused by the worst earthquakes to hit the country in nearly six decades. <\/p>\n

Many people searching for the missing appeared to be ordinary members of the public, rather than professionals. Collapsed buildings, toppled electric poles and debris blocked streets.<\/p>\n

\"RescueRescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building after earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela. Photograph: Ariana Cubillos\/AP <\/p>\n

During the quakes, people ran from swaying buildings in Caracas, many visibly shocked when they turned back to see destroyed walls that left furniture visible from the street.<\/p>\n

Columns of dust rose in two typically busy neighbourhoods in the capital.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together,\u201d Caracas resident Hector Ricci said.<\/p>\n

Interior minister Diosdado Cabello urged people to remain outside as aftershocks could further damage structures, and many people stayed on the streets for hours, some sitting on the ground hugging pets as dust gathered around them.<\/p>\n

Others spent the night in parked cars, underground stations and other public places.<\/p>\n

\"RubbleRubble on the streets of Caracas (Pedro Mattey\/AP) <\/p>\n

Parts of the capital lost power and mobile phone coverage, and the earthquakes damaged and closed Simon Bolivar International Airport, the country\u2019s main airport, acting president Delcy Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n

In Caracas, underground train services were suspended and natural gas shut off, she said. Classes will also be cancelled for several days, and the ministry of education said some school buildings would be used as shelters and donation centres.<\/p>\n

Roberto Gamas, another Caracas resident, said the building he was in \u201cshook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong\u201d.<\/p>\n

The lack of mobile phone signal in parts of Venezuela deepened the distress of many families, particularly those among the more than 7.7 million people who have left the country during its protracted crisis and who struggled to reach relatives inside the country.<\/p>\n

Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, herself in exile, sent wishes on X for \u201cstrength, serenity, and solidarity\u201d. – AP <\/p>\n

Nora-\u00cdde McAuliffe – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Buildings evacuated as far away as the Amazon in Brazil<\/p>\n

The quakes were among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region.<\/p>\n

Buildings were evacuated in places as far away as the Amazon in Brazil, about 1,050 miles from Venezuela\u2019s capital, Caracas. The quakes also were felt in Colombia\u2019s Caribbean and northeast regions.<\/p>\n

State TV showed three children, covered in dust but alive, pulled from the rubble in La Guaira state, which acting president Delcy Rodriguez described as a \u201cdisaster zone\u201d and the area hardest hit by the quakes.<\/p>\n

While Venezuela sits near multiple fault lines, its position straddling the South American and Caribbean plates makes strong earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America.<\/p>\n

Rodriguez declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation late on Wednesday, saying the quakes caused damage in several states.<\/p>\n

\"AA collapsed building in Caracas. Photograph: Adrian Naranjo\/AP \"PeoplePeople walk past a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas. Photograph: Manaure Quintero\/AFP\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

She asked health care professionals to report to hospitals to help the injured.<\/p>\n

\u201cDozens of buildings have collapsed there \u2026 and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,\u201d Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n

Television broadcasts on Thursday showed rescue workers using power tools to work their way into piles of rubble. – AP<\/p>\n

Nora-\u00cdde McAuliffe – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Initial fund \u200bof $200 million \u2060will \u2060be created<\/p>\n

Venezuela\u2019s interim \u200cpresident Delcy Rodriguez \u200badded that \u200can initial fund \u200bof $200 million (\u20ac176 millon) \u2060will \u2060be created \u200busing resources from the International Monetary Fund to rebuild \u200cinfrastructure, hospitals \u2060and housing. <\/p>\n

Latest death toll count rises to 164 people<\/p>\n

At least 164 people have died and 971 were injured the earthquakes, acting president Delcy Rodr\u00edguez said. <\/p>\n

The latest figures mark a sharp increase from an earlier reported toll of 32 dead and 700 injured. <\/p>\n

Authorities fear the numbers could rise further as rescue efforts continue. <\/p>\n

Hospitals brace for the injured<\/p>\n

At Caracas\u2019 Hospital de Clinicas, staff were asked to double up on the night shift to help treat the injured, a worker there said. Classes were canceled for the rest of the week as authorities began to take stock of the damage.<\/p>\n

Venezuela\u2019s oil infrastructure did not immediately appear to be affected by the tremors. Civil protection authorities in Maracaibo, near the large oil \u200chub of Lake Maracaibo, said there were no injuries reported and a worker at the El Palito refinery near Mor\u00f3n – the epicenter of the earthquake – said there had been no damage there.<\/p>\n

UK oil firm Shell, which is evaluating developing gas fields in Venezuela, said all its employees in the country are accounted for with no injuries.<\/p>\n

One source noted that extended loss of power could hit crude output levels until the service is restored. Venezuela\u2019s oil ministry, state-run oil company PDVSA and its main foreign partner, Chevron, did not immediately reply to requests for comment. – Reuters<\/p>\n

Video footage shows emergency workers scrambling over the pancaked debris of a collapsed building<\/p>\n

Video footage showed emergency workers scrambling over the pancaked debris of a collapsed building in the capital as night fell, while distraught relatives sought help for loved ones believed to be trapped, Reuters reports.<\/p>\n

Several dazed survivors were taken away, some on stretchers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie,\u201d said Maria Alejandra, a resident from a nearby building, who did not give her surname.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to climb over the rubble and everything. The building superintendent with the baby and all the neighbors coming down. But from that building, I only saw that one family got out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said the initial casualty figures do not include those from worst-affected La Guaira state, near Caracas and home to the city\u2019s airport, which had been closed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDozens of buildings have collapsed, and we are currently carrying out very intense rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to save,\u201d she said in an appearance on state television just before 1 am local time on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also want to say that this is a true tragedy. From here, we send our message of solidarity, and to those families who have lost loved ones, we reaffirm our condolences and our support in these difficult hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

A website set up to track \u200cmissing \u200cpeople and posted on X by leaders from the country\u2019s opposition, many of whom are outside of the country, listed more than 6,600 people listed as unaccounted for soon after 2 am local time.<\/p>\n

Many Venezuelans were at home when the quakes struck during the afternoon on a public holiday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I\u2019ve never experienced anything like it,\u201d said Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas.<\/p>\n

\"AA woman sleeps next to her dog in a square following an earthquake in Caracas on June 25, 2026. Photograph: Manaure Quintero \/ AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n

Jade Wilson – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n

The below maps show the shake intensity, and the location of the epicenter, of the earthquakes: <\/p>\n

Jade Wilson – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n

EU activates satellite programme to aid recovery efforts<\/p>\n

The EU said it has activated its Copernicus satellite programme to aid Venezuela\u2019s recovery efforts. According to the EU, Copernicus data \u201ccan support preparedness and prevention by providing data that helps to identify risks and prevent loss of lives and damages\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy condolences to the victims of the earthquake in Venezuela,\u201d Hadja Lahbib, the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, wrote on X. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are following the situation with our field staff and partners there. EU-funded partners are already providing help on the ground, Copernicus is activated & we stand ready to step up assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jade Wilson – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n

Earthquake the most powerful to hit Venezuela since 1900 <\/p>\n

Wednesday\u2019s 7.5-magnitude earthquake was the most powerful tremor to hit the country since 1900, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).<\/p>\n

The last time Venezuela was struck by a larger tremor was on October 29th, 1900, when a 7.7-magnitude earthquake was recorded in Caracas, the US monitoring service said. <\/p>\n

There have been five earthquakes of magnitudes greater than 7 in northern Venezuela or near the coast since 1900, according to USGS.<\/p>\n

Seven earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater have occurred within about 250km (155 miles) of yesterday\u2019s earthquakes over the past century. <\/p>\n

The most recent was in September last year, when two earthquakes of magnitudes 6.2 and 6.3 caused at least one fatality and injured more than 110 people.<\/p>\n

Jade Wilson – 4 hours ago<\/p>\n

Here are some photos emerging from Venezuela since the earthquake hit yesterday:<\/p>\n

\"PeoplePeople gather outside a damaged building following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, some 30km northwest of Caracas. Photograph: Federico Parra \/ AFP via Getty Images \"ResidentsResidents and emergency workers stand near damaged buildings following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, some 30km northwest of Caracas. Photograph: Federico Parra\/AFP via Getty Images \"RescueRescue workers evacuate an injured person from a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas. Photograph: Manaure Quintero\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n

Jade Wilson – 4 hours ago<\/p>\n

Strong earthquakes are unusual in Venezuela <\/p>\n

It\u2019s understood that strong earthquakes are unusual in Venezuela. While it sits near multiple fault lines, its position straddling the South American and Caribbean plates makes earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America, AP reports.<\/p>\n

Along the Pacific coast \u2013 in Mexico and Chile, for example \u2013 earthquakes are frequent; the two countries sit along the seismically active tectonic belt known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, responsible for 90 per cent of earthquakes, according to the USGS.<\/p>\n

The two earthquakes that hit today were felt in Colombia, which borders the west of Venezuela.<\/p>\n

Jade Wilson – 4 hours ago<\/p>\n

World leaders offer condolences and support <\/p>\n

More world leaders have extended their condolences to the people of Venezuela and offered assistance with rescue efforts. <\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s prime minister, Pedro S\u00e1nchez, said: \u201cAll my support, and that of Spain, to the Venezuelan people following the devastating earthquakes of this evening. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pakistan\u2019s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said: \u201cDeeply saddened by the devastation and loss of life caused by the earthquakes in Venezuela. On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Venezuela, especially the families of the victims.\u201d<\/p>\n

Offers of help were also made by a number of other governments including the US, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay.<\/p>\n

Jade Wilson – 4 hours ago<\/p>\n

Rescuers are searching for survivors after two back-to-back earthquakes hit Venezuela at about 6pm on Wednesday, local time. <\/p>\n

A magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit about 160km west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude-7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).<\/p>\n

At least 32 people are dead and another 700 injured. <\/p>\n

The USGS, using predictive modelling to estimate the death toll, said it would most likely run into the thousands, with a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000.<\/p>\n

Venezuela\u2019s interim president, Delcy Rodr\u00edguez, has declared a state of emergency. <\/p>\n

Aftershocks continued to rattle the capital into the early hours of Thursday.<\/p>\n

US president Donald Trump has pledged to support Venezuela with aid and personnel. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe two major earthquakes that just hit \u200bthe great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths,\u201d said Trump, who ordered \u200bthe capture of Venezuelan president Nicol\u00e1s Maduro<\/a> in a violent raid in January, said in a social media post.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll have live updates here this morning as the situation unfolds. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Main PointsTwo powerful earthquakes have struck\u00a0Venezuela, killing at least 164 people and injuring almost 1000 more.A magnitude 7.2…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":517683,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,6285,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-517682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-horizontal","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=517682"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517682\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/517683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=517682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=517682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=517682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}