Two M7+ Earthquakes Hit Venezuela in Under a Minute, Compounding Structural Collapse

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck northwestern Venezuela on June 24 at 18:04 local time, followed within seconds by a 7.5 magnitude quake. Both epicenters lay in San Felipe, Yaracuy state, 160 kilometers west of Caracas. The near-simultaneous rupture—rare in seismic sequencing—left buildings weakened by the first shock defenseless against the larger second. Thousands were trapped beneath rubble across Venezuela's capital and surrounding urban areas.