A pair of powerful earthquakes struck northwest Venezuela on Wednesday evening, causing heavy damage in the capital city of Caracas. The first measured a magnitude of 7.2 and the second, arriving less than a minute later, measured 7.5. Both were centered near the town of Montalbán, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The USGS described the sequence in precise terms. "This earthquake was the second event in a doublet, this magnitude 7.5 mainshock was preceded just 39 seconds before by a 7.2 foreshock," the agency said. The first quake struck at a depth of 8.2 miles, centered 17.6 miles northwest of Montalbán. The second hit approximately 21 miles northwest of the same town. Both quakes are among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.
In Caracas, people fled swaying buildings and gathered in the streets. Entire walls had collapsed in some neighborhoods, leaving furniture visible from the street. Dust columns rose over at least two areas of the city, where restaurants and businesses had been open and busy at the time of the quakes.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said several states felt the tremors and described the Altamira neighborhood in Caracas as having what he called alarming situations, with collapsed homes and buildings. He urged residents to remain outside given the risk of aftershocks. "We understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to protocols to activate aid and rescue efforts to help those who need it most," Cabello said on state television. "Be very careful with children and the elderly; call each other and check that no one has been harmed."
Residents described the experience as sudden and violent. "It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together," said Caracas resident Hector Ricci. Another resident, Roberto Damas, described the physical force of the shaking. "The building really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong," he said. "We were walking and it was tossing us around."
Venezuela's state-run television channel, Venezolana de Televisión, reported the quake was felt across the entire country. The full extent of damage and the injury toll remained unclear in the immediate aftermath.
The earthquakes briefly triggered tsunami advisories for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, issued by the National Weather Service's U.S. Tsunami Warning System. The National Weather Service had warned of "sea level fluctuations and strong ocean currents that could be a hazard along coasts, beaches, in harbors and in coastal waters." Those advisories were later canceled. Rescue and aid efforts were underway, with officials continuing to assess the scope of destruction across affected neighborhoods.
