Two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday evening, causing widespread building collapses and leaving hundreds of people dead [1], [2], [3].

The disaster has crippled critical infrastructure in the region and prompted a formal request for international aid to manage a growing humanitarian crisis.

The seismic events occurred within one minute of each other on June 26 [1], [2], [3]. The earthquakes registered magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 [2]. The state of La Guaira was among the hardest hit, with reports of multiple building collapses [1], [3].

At the Caracas international airport, the roof of the facility collapsed during the tremors, causing passengers to flee in panic [4]. Local authorities and international monitors have reported varying casualty figures. While some reports indicated 32 deaths [3], other sources confirmed at least 188 [1], and up to 235 people have died [2].

Injuries are also widespread, with reports ranging from 700 [5] to nearly 1,000 people wounded [1]. President Nicolás Rodríguez declared a state of emergency following the disaster [3].

Venezuela has formally requested assistance from the European Union to support rescue and recovery efforts [1]. In response to the crisis, the Netherlands has already dispatched a rescue team to the affected areas [2].

Emergency crews continue to search through rubble in La Guaira and at the airport. The rapid succession of the two quakes increased the risk of structural failure for buildings already weakened by the first shock.

“Two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday evening”

The occurrence of two high-magnitude earthquakes within a single minute creates a compounding disaster effect, where the first tremor compromises structural integrity and the second triggers total collapse. The request for EU assistance and the deployment of Dutch rescue teams indicate that Venezuela's domestic emergency response capacity was overwhelmed by the scale of the destruction in La Guaira and Caracas.