Venezuela hit by most powerful earthquakes since 1900

Venezuela was struck by its most severe earthquakes in over a century on June 24, 2026. The twin tremors, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, devastated central parts of the country, leaving at least 32 people dead and 700 injured.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported the powerful quakes, noting that the last comparable event was a magnitude 7.7 earthquake off the coast near Caracas in October 1900, which caused considerable damage. The initial 7.2 magnitude tremor occurred at 6:04 PM local time, followed by a stronger 7.5 magnitude quake about 45 kilometers away, accompanied by numerous aftershocks.

Venezuela has a history of seismic activity. Notable past earthquakes include a magnitude 6.9 quake in 1929 that generated a tsunami and destroyed Cumaná, killing 800 people. In 1950, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in El Tocuyo claimed about a hundred lives and nearly leveled the town. Caracas itself experienced a deadly magnitude 6.6 earthquake in 1967, which killed 245 people and caused widespread destruction. More recently, a 1997 earthquake in Sucre state killed 73 people.