Two of the most powerful earthquakes to hit Venezuela in more than a century struck within minutes of each other on June 24, damaging buildings in Caracas, triggering evacuations and raising fears of significant casualties, La Nación reported.

The seismic events, recorded at magnitudes 7.1 and 7.5, occurred about a minute apart near Morón, west of the Venezuelan capital. The first quake originated 13 kilometres below the surface, followed by a second at a depth of 10 kilometres. Officials have yet to release casualty figures in the immediate aftermath.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said emergency services, security forces and civil protection teams had been deployed following reports of collapsed structures across Caracas. He highlighted particularly serious incidents in the Altamira area and advised residents to remain outside while authorities evaluated the stability of affected buildings and monitored continuing aftershocks.

The earthquakes prompted a temporary tsunami alert for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, although the warning was later withdrawn. The US Geological Survey cautioned that the event carried the potential for substantial loss of life.

Across the capital, office towers and apartment blocks swayed violently, triggering precautionary evacuations. Electricity service was interrupted in some districts, while tremors were reported beyond Venezuela’s borders, including in Colombia.

Witness accounts described chaotic scenes as shoppers, workers and residents rushed from buildings. In Altamira, merchandise fell from shelves and crowds poured out of a shopping complex as the ground shook. Elsewhere, people gathered in open spaces, seeking distance from structures that showed visible signs of damage.

Video footage circulating after the quake showed cracked façades, collapsed walls and debris scattered onto city streets. Dust clouds rose above several neighbourhoods, while recordings from inside homes captured furniture and household items being thrown from shelves during the shaking.

The back-to-back earthquakes rank among the most powerful recorded in Venezuela in more than 100 years. Their magnitude places them alongside some of the country’s most significant seismic events, including the San Narciso earthquake of 1900 and the Sucre earthquake of 2018.

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