Century-Old Doublet Earthquakes in Venezuela Leave Tens of Thousands Missing

Northern Venezuela was struck by two extremely rare and devastating “doublet” shallow earthquakes on the evening of June 24. Within a mere 40 seconds, a magnitude 7.2 foreshock first hit San Felipe in Yaracuy state, followed immediately by a massive magnitude 7.5 mainshock, marking the most powerful earthquake recorded in the country in 125 years. With focal depths ranging between only 10 and 22 kilometers, the violent ground shaking instantly swept across multiple northern provinces, with tremors felt even in neighboring countries.

The powerful earthquakes caused the collapse of numerous high-rise residential buildings, public facilities, and resorts in the capital, Caracas, and the neighboring coastal state of La Guaira. Among them, the coastal towns of Caraballeda and Macuto suffered the most severe damage, with entire blocks virtually flattened. According to the latest statistics this week, over 1,450 deaths and 3,150 injuries have been confirmed. As the critical 72-hour golden rescue window officially closed on Sunday, nearly 50,000 people remain listed as missing. Officials openly admitted that the death toll is feared to rise significantly as rescue teams make their way into remote areas previously cut off from transport.

The United Nations estimates that the disaster has caused between $4.7 billion and $8.7 billion in direct economic losses, accounting for approximately 4% to 8% of Venezuela’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). UNICEF and international aid organizations pointed out that the total affected population could reach 6.76 million. This includes 680,000 children, and over 1.8 million survivors are currently facing acute water and power outages alongside a paralyzed healthcare system, leaving them in desperate need of food, clean water, and emergency shelter. Globally, 24 countries have urgently extended a helping hand, dispatching over 2,700 professional rescuers and elite canine units to the disaster zones, and delivering more than 521 tons of emergency medical and humanitarian aid supplies as life-saving operations continue amidst the rubble.