Facts about the 2026 Venezuela Earthquake Doublet 🇻🇪

On 24 June 2026, two large strike-slip earthquakes affected northwestern and central Venezuela. The epicenters of both earthquakes were in San Felipe, Yaracuy.

🌍 Earthquake Sequence

The first earthquake, which measured Mw 7.2, occurred at 18:04 VET, and was classified as a foreshock. It was followed 39 seconds later by a Mw 7.5 mainshock.

The mainshock became the strongest in Venezuela since the 1900 San Narciso earthquake. The USGS located the Mw 7.2 foreshock near Yumare and the Mw 7.5 mainshock in the Yumare–Morón area.

🔧 Tectonic Setting

Northern Venezuela lies within a broad, transpressional boundary zone between the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate. Its principal active structure is the Boconó–San Sebastián–El Pilar fault system.

The 24 June 2026 doublet occurred within this plate-boundary zone near the San Sebastián fault system. The USGS described the mainshock as shallow strike-slip faulting near the complex plate boundary along the San Sebastián fault system.

📊 Seismic Details

The first shock was an Mww 7.2 earthquake at 22:04 UTC east-northeast of Yumare at a depth of 20.3 km. It was caused by right-lateral strike-slip faulting on an east-west trending fault.

Thirty-nine seconds later, a Mww 7.5 shock struck directly east of the foreshock at a depth of 10 km. The epicenters of both earthquakes were in the Veroes municipality in the state of Yaracuy.

💔 Casualties and Damage

At least 920 people were killed, more than 4,500 were injured, and over 50,000 were reported missing. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) system predicted the death toll to rise significantly, potentially exceeding 100,000.

Dozens of buildings reportedly collapsed across Caracas. In La Guaira, one of the worst-affected areas, more than 250 residential buildings collapsed, and the main airport serving the capital, Simón Bolívar International Airport, was heavily damaged.

Event	Magnitude	Depth	Time (UTC)
Foreshock	Mw 7.2	20.3 km	22:04
Mainshock	Mw 7.5	10 km	22:04 + 39 sec
GFZ Foreshock	Mw 7.3	12 km	22:04
GFZ Mainshock	Mw 7.4	Not specified	Not specified

📝 The 24 June 2026 Venezuela earthquake doublet consisted of a Mw 7.2 foreshock and a Mw 7.5 mainshock near the San Sebastián fault system. At least 920 people died, over 4,500 were injured, and more than 50,000 were reported missing, with widespread building collapses in Caracas and La Guaira. The USGS PAGER system estimated a high probability of casualties potentially exceeding 100,000.