{"id":1132,"date":"2026-06-25T21:11:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T21:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1132"},"modified":"2026-06-25T21:11:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T21:11:17","slug":"things-to-know-about-the-venezuela-earthquakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1132","title":{"rendered":"Things to know about the Venezuela earthquakes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A rare double earthquake<\/span> ravaged Venezuela on Wednesday, killing at least 188 people and leaving more than 200 trapped. Many more are feared dead.<\/p>\n

Read more What to know about earthquake early warning systems<\/a><\/p>\n

Thousands of people have been reported missing and about 1,500 people have been injured. Some of the heaviest damage and casualties were in La Guaira, a coastal region north of the capital, Caracas.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know about the earthquakes and the search for survivors:<\/p>\n

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Two earthquakes in less than one minute<\/h2>\n

The powerful 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck 39 seconds apart along the San Sebastian fault on Venezuela\u2019s northern coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.<\/p>\n

They were among the strongest in the South American nation<\/span> in more than a century.<\/p>\n

The first earthquake, a 7.2-magnitude foreshock, hit west of Mor\u00f3n on the Caribbean coast, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) west of Caracas, with a depth of 22 kilometers (about 14 miles).<\/p>\n

The second, a 7.5-magnitude mainshock, was centered 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Mor\u00f3n, with a depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles).<\/p>\n

The back-to-back earthquakes \u2014 known as a doublet<\/span> because of their similarities in magnitude, time and proximity \u2014 resulted from shallow strike-slip faulting near the complex plate boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, the U.S. Geological Survey said.<\/p>\n

Many people are dead, injured or missing<\/h2>\n

The death toll in Venezuela is likely to climb as rescue crews comb through buildings toppled by the earthquake.<\/p>\n

Acting President Delcy Rodr\u00edguez<\/span> said authorities have deployed rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, where dozens of buildings have collapsed.<\/p>\n

The city, about 165 kilometers (103 miles) east of the 7.5-magnitude quake\u2019s epicenter, is a \u201cdisaster zone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Civilians and authorities pulled survivors out of concrete rubble, some of them covered in dust and blood. Families sobbed in front of destroyed homes.<\/p>\n

Families began posting missing-person flyers with photos of loved ones, while others shared handwritten lists of names as they searched for those still unaccounted for.<\/p>\n

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Significant damage in Caracas and beyond<\/h2>\n

The earthquake destroyed buildings in Caracas and led to evacuation as far away as Brazil\u2019s Amazon, about 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) away.<\/p>\n

Read more The 2 earthquakes that struck Venezuela are known as a \u2018doublet.\u2019 Here\u2019s how they happen<\/a><\/p>\n

In downtown Caracas, hundreds of people spent the night huddled in parks, parking lots and other open spaces. <\/p>\n

Parts of the city lost power and cellphone service. Venezuela\u2019s main airport in Caracas was damaged and closed, subway service was suspended and natural gas was shut off.<\/p>\n

Classes will also be canceled for several days as schools are used as shelters and donation centers.<\/p>\n

Rodr\u00edguez said the government was creating a $200 million reconstruction fund for hospitals and homes damaged by the earthquakes.<\/p>\n

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Another challenge for Venezuela\u2019s leader<\/h2>\n

The earthquakes are yet another crisis for Rodr\u00edguez, the former vice president who took office in January after the U.S. captured former President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro.<\/p>\n

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are jailed in New York City while awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges.<\/p>\n

Rodr\u00edguez inherited a country that has been in economic turmoil<\/span> for more than a decade.<\/p>\n

Many Venezuelans reject the legitimacy of her political movement<\/span>, while some loyalists have criticized her leadership and warming relationship<\/span> with the U.S.<\/p>\n

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