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Twin earthquakes a double crisis - 6th July 2026

Two major earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on 24th June, causing widespread destruction. The first earthquake, a magnitude 7.2 foreshock, occurred less than a minute before the even larger mainshock.

This second earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.5, ranks as the most violent in Venezuela in more than a century. The epicentres of these twin earthquakes were located within 5 to 10 kilometres of each other.

Initial examination of satellite images by NASA scientists suggests that the earthquakes' combined power has left 58,870 buildings partially or totally destroyed. They've killed over 2,600 according to initial reports. Thousands have also been left homeless, and many are still unaccounted for. Some estimate a final death toll in excess of 10,000.

The Venezuelan government's been widely criticised for its inadequate and delayed disaster response. The initial 48 to 72 hours after an earthquake, known as the golden window, is critical to rescuing people from beneath collapsed buildings.

Yet many areas have seen no government response and no rescue equipment or expertise arrive. Working with friends and neighbours, people have lifted heavy concrete and dug their families out of the ruins with their bare hands.

On 29th June, Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's acting president, announced that 30 countries had sent international aid. 3,681 rescuers, 1086 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, 27 vehicles and 118 search dogs had arrived. The US government's doubled its financial aid to $300 million. However, a lack of commercial flights initially prevented other rescue teams from arriving in Caracas.

Since Hugo Chavez was elected in 1999, Venezuela's experienced political challenges, states Ronal Rodriguez at Colombia's Venezuelan Observatory. He explains that government incompetence and US political interference has caused "a complex humanitarian crisis". He states that Venezuela "lacks human capital and short-term resources to address the situation."

This disaster now adds to the pressures on the county's future.