Why Venezuela’s ‘doublet’ earthquakes were so devastating
Key takeaways
- The tremors that hit Venezuela on Wednesday evening have killed nearly 600 people and injured thousands.
- By: Sébastian SEIBT A woman walks past a building damaged during an earthquake in La Guaira, Venezuela on June 25, 2026.
- The death toll from the 7.2-magnitude and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes is expected to rise, as rescuers continue combing the ruins of cities near the quake’s epicentre, situated 170 kilometres west of the capital Caracas.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The tremors that hit Venezuela on Wednesday evening have killed nearly 600 people and injured thousands. The disaster consisted of a rare phenomenon called a “doublet”, meaning a quick succession of two major “twin” earthquakes.
By: Sébastian SEIBT A woman walks past a building damaged during an earthquake in La Guaira, Venezuela on June 25, 2026. © Pedro Mattey, AP The powerful tremors which rocked Venezuela on Wednesday have claimed at least 589 lives and injured thousands.
The death toll from the 7.2-magnitude and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes is expected to rise, as rescuers continue combing the ruins of cities near the quake’s epicentre, situated 170 kilometres west of the capital Caracas.