Two Powerful Earthquakes Strike Venezuela 39 Seconds Apart, Killing 164

On June 24, 2026, northwestern Venezuela was hit by two massive earthquakes—magnitude 7.2 and 7.5—just 39 seconds apart. The rare pairing, caused by shifting tectonic plates, killed at least 164 people. When two major quakes strike this close together, aftershock patterns become unpredictable. Venezuela's earthquake monitoring system lacks the resources to track such scenarios.