Chaos in Caracas: Twin Monster Quakes Leave Dozens Dead, Hundreds Injured as Terrified Residents Flee Crumbling Buildings
At least 32 people are dead and more than 700 injured after two devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela within seconds of each other, reducing buildings to rubble and sending panicked residents running into the streets.
The powerful quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, hit late Wednesday night and triggered scenes of chaos across the South American nation.
Witnesses described walls splitting apart, ceilings collapsing and deafening roars as the ground violently shook beneath them.
Authorities have declared a nationwide state of emergency after more than 20 aftershocks rattled the country, while Venezuela’s main international airport was forced to shut down after suffering major structural damage.
In the capital Caracas, desperate relatives gathered around mountains of debris where apartment buildings once stood, shouting the names of loved ones feared trapped beneath the wreckage.
One 22-storey residential tower was completely flattened, leaving rescuers scrambling through the ruins in a frantic search for survivors.
“We need flashlights!” volunteers shouted as they climbed over shattered concrete and twisted metal in the darkness.
Among those caught in the terrifying ordeal was bank employee Odalis Escalona, 54, who watched her building fall apart around her.
“The stairs came away, the whole wall cracked. Things fell from the ceiling. It was horrible,” she said.
Shopping centres erupted into panic as screaming shoppers rushed for emergency exits.
“We couldn’t even move at first because the shaking was so violent,” said Zenia Gonzalez, who comforted a crying teenager after escaping a mall in Caracas.
“It seemed to last forever.”
Engineer Maria Romero said she heard what sounded like a deep underground roar moments before her apartment began shaking violently.
“For a second I thought about hiding under a table, but I knew I had to get out,” she said.
The United States Geological Survey said the two earthquakes struck less than a minute apart near the coastal town of Moron.
Experts described the event as a rare and dangerous seismic “doublet”, with the larger 7.5-magnitude quake arriving just 39 seconds after the first tremor.
Emergency crews have been deployed across some of the country’s hardest-hit regions, including Miranda, Carabobo, Trujillo and La Guaira.
Authorities also ordered residents to evacuate damaged buildings while gas supplies were cut to prevent explosions.
“We have structures that have suffered significant damage and we don’t want any secondary disasters,” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said.
Images circulating online showed extensive destruction at Maiquetia International Airport near Caracas, where parts of the facility appeared severely damaged.
The disaster was felt far beyond Venezuela’s borders.
Residents in Colombia’s capital Bogotá reported strong shaking, prompting precautionary evacuations from office buildings and apartment towers.
Colombian seismologists received hundreds of reports from across the country as nervous residents feared further tremors.
Despite the scale of the disaster, tsunami monitoring agencies confirmed there was no threat of a tsunami.
International support has already begun pouring in.
El Salvador announced it has prepared hundreds of rescuers and paramedics along with tonnes of medical supplies and emergency equipment ready to be flown into Venezuela.
Mexico, Brazil and Ecuador have also pledged assistance.
US President Donald Trump described the situation as catastrophic, warning that early reports indicated a significant loss of life.
“The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“We stand ready, willing and able to help.”
As rescue operations continue through the night, officials fear the death toll could rise as crews search collapsed buildings and race to locate survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
Meanwhile, just hours after the Venezuelan disaster, another powerful earthquake measuring 6.9 struck northern Japan.
The tremor shook parts of Honshu Island but caused only minor damage, with officials reporting no tsunami threat and no immediate reports of serious injuries.
