Back-to-Back Major Earthquakes Strike Venezuela; Separate 6.9 Quake Hits Northern Japan

 

CARACAS, Venezuela — Two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela late Wednesday, collapsing buildings in Caracas, damaging infrastructure, and prompting urgent rescue efforts as officials and seismologists warned that casualties could be significant.

The U.S. Geological Survey listed the first quake as a magnitude 7.2 event near Yumare, Venezuela, at 22:04:33 UTC, followed 39 seconds later by a stronger magnitude 7.5 quake in the same region. The second earthquake, which USGS identified as the mainshock, struck at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers, producing violent shaking near the epicentral area.

The quakes were centered west of Caracas, near Venezuela’s Caribbean coast, and were felt across multiple states. In the capital, residents fled swaying buildings and gathered outdoors as dust rose from damaged neighborhoods. Local reports described collapsed walls, trapped residents, and emergency crews working into the night.

Authorities did not immediately release a confirmed national death toll, but the scale of damage raised alarm. USGS issued a red PAGER alert, indicating that high casualties and extensive economic losses were likely. Reuters reported that the agency’s initial modeling suggested deaths could plausibly fall between 10,000 and 100,000, though that figure is an estimate rather than a confirmed count.

Venezuelan officials said rescue and civil protection teams had been deployed, while hospitals prepared for incoming casualties. The country’s main airport at Maiquetía was closed because of damage, and classes were canceled as authorities began assessing structural safety and public services.

A tsunami threat was briefly issued for parts of the Caribbean after the Venezuelan quakes, including nearby island territories, but U.S. tsunami authorities later said no tsunami warning, advisory, watch, or threat remained in effect.

The disaster comes in a region where the Caribbean Plate and South American Plate meet, making northern Venezuela seismically active. The back-to-back nature of the quakes, separated by less than a minute, heightened concern about aftershocks and further structural failures.

Separately, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off northern Japan on Thursday morning local time, east of Iwate Prefecture. The Japan Meteorological Agency said there was no tsunami danger, and early reports indicated no immediate injuries or major damage. Some rail services in northeastern Japan were temporarily suspended for safety checks, and officials said nuclear facilities, including Fukushima Daiichi, had reported no abnormalities.

Officials in both countries urged residents in affected areas to remain alert for aftershocks and avoid damaged buildings.