State of Emergency Declared as Back-to-Back Major Earthquakes Level Buildings in Venezuela

Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has declared a national state of emergency after the country was shattered by two historic, back-to-back earthquakes on Wednesday evening. The massive double tremor caused multi-story buildings and homes to collapse in and around the capital city of Caracas, triggering widespread panic and a large-scale humanitarian emergency.

The tremors were so violent that they were felt across neighboring Colombia. In a televised address to the nation, Interim President Rodríguez urged citizens to remain calm but united, ordering immediate evacuations of all structurally compromised buildings.

According to data compiled by the US Geological Survey, the disaster was caused by two massive seismic events striking in rapid succession shortly after 6:00 PM local time. The crisis began with a massive magnitude 7.2 foreshock, which was followed just 39 seconds later by a catastrophic magnitude 7.5 mainshock that tore through the coast.

The epicenter of both earthquakes was tracked to a shallow depth of 13 kilometers, located just west of the coastal community of Morón, approximately 168 kilometers west of Caracas. Internal Affairs Minister Diosdado Cabello warned the public on state broadcaster VTV that the initial destruction could worsen due to continuous, severe aftershocks, urging the population to stay outdoors in clear areas.

Caracas and its surrounding coastal zones have suffered severe structural damage, with thick columns of dust rising above the urban skyline as residential complexes gave way. In Altamira, an upscale district housing multiple foreign embassies, at least three major buildings completely collapsed. Eyewitnesses reported rescue teams and local volunteers frantically pulling survivors from the ruins of a six-story residential building, and similar catastrophic collapses were recorded in the northern district of San Bernardino.

The transportation grid faced an immediate lockdown. The Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía suffered extensive structural failure, with social media footage showing passengers fleeing falling debris in the terminals. The airport has been completely closed, and the capital’s entire metro and rail networks have been brought to a total halt.

The beachfront port city of La Guaira was among the hardest-hit regions outside the immediate capital. The prominent Eduard’s Hotel Boutique was almost entirely flattened, while the national naval academy and several high-rise residential blocks in nearby Catia La Mar sustained catastrophic damage. Meanwhile, in the suburb of Baruta, the violent shaking triggered massive landslides, burying structures and forcing civil defense workers to deploy emergency stretchers to rescue residents trapped beneath the debris.

The United States Embassy in Caracas has issued an emergency advisory urging all US citizens to completely avoid impacted zones, stay out of damaged structures, and secure safe shelter. While local authorities have extended condolences to grieving families, official agencies have not yet released a definitive casualty or fatality count as search-and-rescue operations continue through the wreckage.