Overview
- Two very large earthquakes struck northwestern Venezuela in quick succession on Wednesday and Thursday, June 24–25, producing magnitudes of about 7.2 and 7.5 and concentrating destruction in La Guaira state north of Caracas.
- Official counts released in the days after the quakes put confirmed deaths between roughly 1,943 and 2,295 with more than 11,000 people reported injured, and many victims still unrescued.
- Rescue operations have slowed because of a shortage of heavy machinery, forcing residents to dig by hand and fueling public anger and criticism of the interim government’s response.
- Researchers have proposed a possible supershear rupture—meaning the fault rupture moved faster than seismic waves—which can sharply amplify ground shaking and help explain the unusually severe collapse of many buildings.
- The U.S. has pledged over $300 million in aid and international teams are arriving, but experts warn decades of underinvestment in building safety and rapid reconstruction pressures could prolong human and economic harm and shape Venezuela’s political landscape.