Two powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela in quick succession just after 18:00 local time (23:00 BST) on 24 June 2026. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake was followed 39 seconds later by a stronger magnitude 7.5 quake.

The earthquakes struck near Yaracuy state and were felt across much of Venezuela and neighbouring countries, with tremors reported as far away as the Brazilian Amazon.

The disaster caused widespread destruction, with buildings collapsing in several cities, including the capital, Caracas, trapping residents beneath the rubble.

Venezuelan authorities launched large-scale search-and-rescue operations immediately after the earthquakes, deploying emergency teams across the affected regions as crews worked around the clock to locate survivors.

More than 20 aftershocks have been recorded since the initial earthquakes, while the magnitude 7.5 quake was the strongest recorded in Venezuela in more than 125 years.

As rescue efforts continue, families are still searching for missing relatives. Colombia n-Venezuelan national Moises Leonel Perez travelled from Bogotá to Venezuela's Caribbean coast after losing contact with his mother following the June 24 earthquakes. Perez, who moved to Colombia in 2018, returned to Venezuela to help search for her after repeated attempts to reach her failed.

Twelve days after the disaster, Venezuelan authorities said the earthquakes had killed 3,535 people , injured 16,740 others and left more than 17,000 people homeless, with recovery and rescue operations continuing across the affected regions.

A series of strong earthquakes struck multiple regions across the globe within 12 hours, with the strongest a magnitude 6.5 earthquake off the coast of the southern Philippines.

The USGS recorded 11 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or higher during the period, affecting countries across Asia, Oceania, Central America and the Caribbean. The events ranged from magnitude 4.6 to 6.5, highlighting the concentration of seismic activity along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where tectonic plates frequently interact.

The largest event was a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck 34 kilometres west-southwest of Sarangani, Philippines, at a depth of 42 kilometres.

The quake occurred in a region that is among the world's most seismically active due to the interaction of the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The USGS assigned the event a Green PAGER alert, indicating that widespread fatalities or major economic losses were unlikely.

The tremor came less than three weeks after a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Mindanao on June 8, underscoring the region's continued seismic activity.

Japan recorded two earthquakes exceeding magnitude 5 during the same period.

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck near Yokoshiba at a depth of 43 kilometres, followed later by a magnitude 5.7 event near Oshino at 50.9 kilometres depth, according to the USGS.

Japan sits atop the convergence of four major tectonic plates and experiences thousands of earthquakes each year, making it one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.

Elsewhere, the USGS recorded:

Most of these earthquakes occurred along active plate boundaries, particularly around the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped belt that accounts for roughly 90% of the world's earthquakes and about 75% of active volcanoes, according to the USGS.

Why earthquakes cluster along the Ring of Fire

The Ring of Fire stretches around the Pacific Ocean through the Americas, East Asia and Oceania. Continuous movement of tectonic plates causes frequent earthquakes as plates collide, separate or slide past one another.

Countries such as Japan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand routinely experience significant seismic activity because they lie directly on these plate boundaries.

Her uncle said the family had suffered multiple losses in the disaster.

“I lost relatives here today. Everything happened very fast, the three apartments were blown away, the whole street, the whole block is reduced to rubble. Thank God they are rescuing a niece, she is the only one we have alive right now,” he said.

The rescue followed hours of coordinated efforts by specialised emergency teams and volunteers working at the site.

Search-and-rescue operations remain underway across La Guaira, where numerous buildings have suffered partial or complete collapse. Authorities continue to deploy heavy machinery, canine search units and specialised rescue personnel in an effort to locate more survivors.

Venezuela’s National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said on Thursday that the death toll had risen to 188, with 1,520 people injured. He added that 157 people remain missing and another 200 are still believed to be trapped beneath collapsed structures.

“We are here accompanying our people in the search and rescue of people who were trapped by structures and buildings that collapsed. We are accompanying the families; we extend our solidarity and hope to recover as many people alive as possible,” she said.

Authorities have identified La Guaira as one of the hardest-hit areas, with extensive damage reported to hotels, homes and tourist buildings. Rescue teams continue to search through the rubble for survivors.

Rodríguez also announced that Venezuela had requested international assistance to strengthen rescue operations.

“We have requested international help. The first rescuers arriving from the Dominican Republic are already about to land, and in the coming hours, others will arrive from the rest of the countries of the international community,” she said.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela within seconds of each other. The first measured magnitude 7.2, followed by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. The epicentres were located near Morón, west of Caracas, at shallow depths.

Emergency authorities continue to assess the damage as search-and-rescue operations remain underway in the affected regions.