Venezuela earthquakes leave Caracas residents trapped as buildings collapse

Tony Frangie was still in a Caracas elevator when the first quake hit and the building began to shake around him. He was leaving his building on the way to watch a World Cup match with friends when he pressed every button and waited for the doors to open. “I started to pray and to press every button, waiting for it to open up,” Frangie said.

He reached the basement before getting outside and seeing the structure still trembling. Frangie did not immediately grasp how severe the disaster was until he went online and learned that two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5, had struck west of Caracas.

The U.S. Geological Survey put the stronger quake at magnitude 7.5, centered 16 kilometers southwest of Morón, Venezuela, at a depth of 10.0 kilometers, at 22:05:11 UTC on June 24, 2026. Two powerful quakes hit northern Venezuela that night, collapsing buildings in Caracas and other cities and forcing the closure of the country’s main airport. The Associated Press put the number of people trapped beneath rubble at more than 200, while Reuters put the number feared dead at thousands.

Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Thursday that at least 164 people were killed and 971 injured. Rescue crews continued searching collapsed buildings as emergency teams raced to reach devastated areas, with aid expected from the United States and other nations. World leaders and Venezuela-related celebrities offered solidarity and support as the scope of the destruction became clearer.

A Caracas resident recalled the first jolt, saying he “started to pray” when the quake struck. The 1967 Caracas earthquake struck on July 29, 1967, killed 225 to 300 people, and injured more than 1,500 in Caracas and La Guaira.