Two major earthquakes rocked Venezuela late Wednesday, occurring less than a minute apart and causing hundreds of deaths and injuries, authorities said.
At least 164 people have died and 971 were injured, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
According to the U.S. Geological Society, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the South American country at about 6:04 p.m. local time, The New York Times reported. The USGS said that a 7.5 temblor happened 39 seconds later.
The first temblor hit about 15 miles north of San Felipe.
Tsunami alerts were issued for a short time for many Caribbean coastlines, the Times reported. The warnings included the coastal areas of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, according to the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
BREAKING: At least 164 people are dead and 971 injured after powerful earthquakes rock Venezuela, the country's acting president says. https://t.co/6mKEyYMaNh
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 25, 2026
The first earthquake appeared to have been a “foreshock,” followed moments later by the larger main quake, the Times reported.
The death toll could rise, CNN reported, pointing to the number of collapsed and damaged buildings.
At least 30 aftershocks have occurred since the two main earthquakes, Rodriguez said.
The earthquake was the biggest to hit the country in more than a century, the AP reported. The only one larger was a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in October 1900, CNN reported.
Venezuela’s main airport was closed after it was damaged, and buildings more than 1,000 miles away in Brazil were evacuated, according to the news organization.
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