Venezuela is experiencing one of the most severe natural disasters in recent decades.
On the evening of June 24, 2026, the north of the country was shaken by two powerful earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5. They occurred less than a minute apart, approximately 160 kilometers west of Caracas, according to the US Geological Survey, as reported by Reuters. The first official figures already look grim: at least 164 dead and nearly 1,000 injured, but rescuers warn that the data may change after clearing the debris and restoring communication with the affected areas.
Caracas, the coastal state of La Guaira, and settlements in the Caribbean coastal area were the hardest hit. It is there that the most intensive search and rescue operations are currently underway. Authorities are calling La Guaira a disaster zone: dozens of buildings have collapsed, infrastructure is damaged, and communication, power supply, and transportation links are disrupted.
For Israel, this news is important not only as an international tragedy. The country is home to people from Latin America, including the Venezuelan Jewish community, and the disaster once again reminds us that a strong earthquake can turn an urban area into a mass disaster zone in minutes.
What happened in Venezuela
The first powerful tremor occurred on the evening of June 24. A few dozen seconds later, a second, even stronger one followed. This sequence intensified the destruction: buildings already damaged by the first strike might not withstand the second.
According to Reuters, the earthquakes were felt in the capital and at a great distance from the epicenter. In Caracas, people ran out of homes, hospitals, shopping centers, and office buildings. In some areas, power and communication outages began, and schools and some institutions were closed.
Particularly severe reports are coming from La Guaira — a coastal region near Caracas, where the country’s main international airport is located. AP reports that buildings in the area were damaged, people were evacuated, and patients from one hospital were placed outside after the damage.
In photos and videos published by international agencies, you can see destroyed facades, debris, rescuers with stretchers, people spending the night in open areas, and patients being carried out of damaged buildings.
Why the death toll might rise
The official figure — 164 dead — is still preliminary. In such disasters, the initial data almost never reflect the full scale of the tragedy. The main reason is that people may remain under the rubble, and some areas may be inaccessible to rescuers due to destroyed roads, communication outages, and lack of equipment.
Reuters reports that, according to a site associated with opposition representatives, more than 10,000 people were unaccounted for shortly after the earthquakes. This does not mean that they all died or are under the rubble, but it shows the scale of chaos and the difficulty in establishing contact with families.
The US Geological Survey’s PAGER impact assessment system warned of the risk of a much more severe scenario. Such models are not an official death toll count, but they take into account the magnitude, depth of the earthquake, population density, building types, and the likelihood of secondary destruction. According to estimates cited by Reuters, the death toll could exceed 10,000 if the worst-case scenario in densely populated areas is confirmed.
La Guaira has become one of the main disaster zones
Acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez stated that La Guaira has become a ‘real tragedy’ and a disaster zone. According to her, dozens of buildings have collapsed there, and rescuers are conducting intensive operations to find survivors under concrete and metal in time.
This region is particularly vulnerable: it is located between mountains and the sea, near Caracas, with dense urban development, transport hubs, and an airport. If roads, bridges, or access to destroyed buildings are damaged, the rescue operation immediately becomes much more difficult.
The situation is further complicated by possible secondary consequences. Experts point to the risk of landslides and soil liquefaction — a phenomenon where water-saturated soil loses strength after strong tremors and begins to behave almost like a liquid. This is especially dangerous for coastal areas, buildings on weak foundations, and slopes.
Airport, hospitals, and communication
According to international agencies, the main airport near Caracas was damaged and closed. This is critically important because rescuers, humanitarian aid, medicines, and equipment usually arrive through the airport.
Hospitals are operating in overload mode. In Caracas, medical staff increased shifts to receive the injured. Some facilities were damaged, and some patients were taken outside due to the risk of aftershocks and destruction.
Communication problems also hinder assessing the real number of victims. After major earthquakes, people often cannot reach relatives, mobile networks are overloaded, electricity goes out, and messages from certain areas arrive with significant delays.
International reaction and assistance
The US has expressed readiness to help Venezuela. According to Reuters, Washington expressed readiness to provide support, and American representatives reported contacts with Venezuelan authorities. Other countries in the region also offered or expressed readiness to provide assistance.
For Venezuela, international aid can be crucial. The country has been in a severe economic and political crisis for many years, and medical and utility infrastructure in many areas operates with limited resources. Even under normal conditions, hospitals, communication, and the transport system are under strain; after the earthquake, this strain becomes critical.
NAnews — Israel News notes: in such disasters, the first 24 hours often determine how many people can be saved. Rescuers need heavy equipment, search dogs, mobile hospitals, generators, water, medicines, and safe routes to the destroyed areas.
Was there a tsunami threat
After the tremors, warnings of a possible tsunami threat briefly sounded, but they were later lifted. This does not eliminate the danger for coastal areas: even without a tsunami, the earthquake can damage port infrastructure, roads along the coast, buildings on slopes, and communications.
Why Venezuela is vulnerable to such earthquakes
Venezuela is located in a zone of complex tectonic plate interaction. The north of the country is near the boundary of the Caribbean and South American plates, so strong earthquakes are possible here. The country’s history already includes destructive seismic events, including the 1812 catastrophe, when, according to historical estimates, tens of thousands of people died.
But magnitude is not the only factor. The final tragedy depends on the depth of the tremor, the distance to cities, the quality of construction, the time of day, the readiness of rescue services, and the condition of hospitals and roads.
If a strong earthquake occurs near dense urban development, and buildings are not designed for such loads, the destruction can be enormous even at a lower magnitude. In Venezuela, this risk is exacerbated by old housing stock, economic crisis, and limited capabilities for rapid large-scale mobilization.
What is known now
At the moment, several key facts are confirmed.
Two strong earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 occurred on the evening of June 24, 2026.
At least 164 people died, and nearly 1,000 were injured.
The most severe destruction is recorded in the Caracas area, La Guaira, and the Caribbean coast.
People may remain under the rubble.
The main airport and part of the hospital infrastructure were damaged.
Rescue operations continue, and the number of victims may change.
For readers in Israel, this tragedy is another reminder of the importance of earthquake preparedness. Israel is also located in a seismically active region, near the Syrian-African Rift. Therefore, issues of building reinforcement, hospital readiness, backup communication, civil defense, and personal home supplies are not abstract theory but part of real security.
NAnews — Israel News will continue to monitor the situation in Venezuela and updates from international agencies.
What is important to remember
Venezuela experienced not one tremor, but a double blow, which sharply increased the destruction.
The official death toll is still preliminary.
The main hope now is for rescue operations in the first hours and days after the disaster.
The most severe consequences may be in areas where communication is disrupted and rescuers have not yet reached all the debris.
For Israel, this is also an occasion to talk again about seismic preparedness, because earthquakes do not warn in advance.
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