In pictures: Widespread destruction after back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela
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Two powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck near Caracas, Venezuela, causing widespread destruction, building collapses, and trapping people under rubble. Emergency services are actively conducting rescue operations with concerns over heavy casualties.
Powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon, toppling buildings in the capital Caracas, trapping people in the rubble and prompting scientists to warn of potentially heavy casualties and widespread destruction. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160 km west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Below is a glimpse of the widespread destruction. Rescuers search for victims in a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —AFP Rescue workers carry a person on a stretcher out of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —AFP People pray as they gather after an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —Reuters A rescuer looks at the rubble of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —AFP Rescuers search for victims in a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —AFP A woman walks with kids after an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —Reuters People remain in the street after an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —Reuters People run into a street following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —Reuters Police officers and rescuers work at the site of damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —Reuters Police officers and rescuers work at the site of damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —Reuters People react during an earthquake at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —Reuters People gather on a street next to a damaged car and building following an earthquake in Valencia, Venezuela on June 24, 2026. —AFP People walk past debris after an earthquake, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —Reuters Emergency services work at the site of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —Reuters People ride past a collapsed building after an earthquake, in La Guaira, Venezuela, June 24, 2026. —Reuters Header image: Rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building in the Altamira neighbourhood following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. —AFP