Heartbreaking Scenes in Venezuela as Twin Earthquakes Flatten Homes

Sorrow was etched on the faces of Venezuelans after two powerful earthquakes, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck the country on Wednesday afternoon local time. Two survivors stood before a collapsed building, awaiting news of Antonio Nasri, who was still being sought by rescue teams after the twin quakes hit Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday (25/6/2026). The disaster occurred almost simultaneously around the capital, causing severe damage to numerous buildings and infrastructure in the affected area. The first earthquake registered magnitude 7.2, followed by a stronger magnitude 7.5 tremor. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the interval between the two quakes was just about 39 seconds. A person was seen trying to search for family members in a collapsed building. The USGS warned that the impact of the disaster could be enormous. ‘High casualties and extensive damage are likely and the disaster is probably widespread,’ the USGS stated, as quoted by Reuters. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said on Thursday that at least 164 people had died and nearly 1,000 were injured after the major earthquakes hit the country. Rodriguez added that an initial fund of USD 200 million, or approximately IDR 3.57 trillion, would be established using resources from the International Monetary Fund to rebuild infrastructure, hospitals, and housing. A tsunami warning was issued for the coastal areas of Venezuela as well as Aruba and Bonaire, but was later lifted. The phenomenon in Venezuela drew attention because it was not merely a large earthquake. Two powerful tremors occurred within a very short time, less than a minute apart. In the world of seismology, such an event is known as a doublet earthquake.