Twin Earthquakes (M7.2/M7.5) Strike Yaracuy, Killing Hundreds Across Caracas and La Guaira

Two strike-slip earthquakes struck 39 seconds apart at 22:04/22:05 UTC (18:04/18:05 local) on June 24, 2026, epicentered in Veroes Municipality near San Felipe, Yaracuy state — a magnitude 7.2 foreshock followed by a magnitude 7.5 mainshock, Venezuela's strongest since 1900. The doublet was felt across Caracas, La Guaira (where roughly 80% of buildings collapsed), Carabobo, Aragua, Miranda, Yaracuy and Falcón states, and severely damaged Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía. Initial official figures put the toll at 188 dead and 1,520 injured with at least 200 people trapped in collapsed buildings, a count that would climb into the thousands over the following weeks. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez called it "a true tragedy," said rescue crews were working to "save as many lives as God allows us to save," and requested international assistance.