{"id":17761,"date":"2026-06-25T13:35:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T01:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/?p=17761"},"modified":"2026-06-25T13:35:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T01:35:53","slug":"usgs-warns-up-to-100000-people-may-be-dead-after-quakes-hit-venezuela","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/?p=17761","title":{"rendered":"USGS warns up to 100,000 people may be dead after quakes hit Venezuela"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal [&amp;_li&gt;ol.list]:!mt-4 [&amp;_li&gt;ol.list]:!pb-0 [&amp;_li&gt;ul.list]:!mt-4 [&amp;_li&gt;ul.list]:!pb-0 [&amp;_li]:!mb-8 [&amp;_ol]:pb-4 [&amp;_ul]:pb-4\">\n<ul class=\"list\">\n<li class=\"\">Damage seen in Caracas, scientists warn of widespread destruction<\/li>\n<li class=\"\">USGS says 44 percent chance of 10,000-100,000 fatalities<\/li>\n<li class=\"\">Residents flee into the streets as buildings shake, some collapse<\/li>\n<li class=\"\">Tsunami threat issued but quickly withdrawn<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Strong earthquakes struck west of Venezuela&#8217;s capital bringing down buildings in Caracas, trapping people in the rubble and prompting scientists to warn of potentially heavy casualties and widespread destruction across the South American country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160 km (100 miles) west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>&#8220;High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,&#8221; the USGS said, initially estimating the death toll would most likely range from 10,000 to 100,000.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Authorities did not immediately provide a national toll for deaths or injuries, but local officials and witnesses reported collapsed buildings, rescues and a growing number of injured.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pb-16 pt-8\">\n<div class=\"grid justify-center\">\n<figure class=\"mx-auto table\">\n<div class=\"image-ring flex w-full max-w-full -mx-16 md:mx-0 w-screen border-x-0 !max-w-[initial] md:w-[revert-layer] md:!max-w-full [&amp;_img]:w-full [&amp;_img]:md:w-[revert-layer]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"max-h-[50rem] max-w-full aspect-[16\/10] object-cover\" src=\"https:\/\/media.rnztools.nz\/rnz\/image\/upload\/s--lMhCr3e3--\/t_kt-crop-16x10\/w_614\/f_auto\/q_auto:eco\/4JMHHLH_AFP__20260624__B88L68B__v1__HighRes__VenezuelaEarthquake_jpg\" alt=\"Municipal police officers stand next to the remains of a collapsed structure following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Venezuela on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported, triggering panic in Caracas, according to AFP journalists. The tremor, which was followed by several aftershocks, was also felt in Colombia. (Photo by Juan BARRETO \/ AFP)\" width=\"614\" height=\"384\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"border-stroke-default w-full border-b py-12 text-sm *:inline table-caption caption-bottom mt-auto\">Police officers stand next to the remains of a collapsed structure following the earthquake in Caracas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-foreground-secondary flex-shrink-0 ml-4\">AFP \/ Juan Barreto<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>&#8220;We have buildings, homes and houses which have collapsed and we are taking care of things with everything we have available in terms of security, civil assistance,&#8221; Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on state television.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>&#8220;The fire department, police all have been activated.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Video footage showed emergency workers climbing through the ruins of a collapsed building in the capital as night fell, while distraught relatives sought help for loved ones believed to be trapped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>In Chacao, an eastern Caracas municipality, Mayor Gustavo Duque told broadcaster Globovision that two structures had collapsed, 16 people were injured and there were deaths, though he gave no figure for fatalities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to do everything we can to rescue the most people possible,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clear-left pt-16 mb-12 [&amp;_h2]:text-md [&amp;_h3]:text-md [&amp;_h4]:text-md\">\n<h3 class=\"text-md-lg leading-snug font-sans-semibold\">Residents rush into the streets<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Many Venezuelans were at home when the quakes struck during a public holiday marking an 1821 military victory that helped secure the country&#8217;s independence from Spain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>&#8220;As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming,&#8221; Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>&#8220;Everyone was running down the stairs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pb-16 pt-8\">\n<div class=\"grid justify-center\">\n<figure class=\"mx-auto table\">\n<div class=\"image-ring flex w-full max-w-full -mx-16 md:mx-0 w-screen border-x-0 !max-w-[initial] md:w-[revert-layer] md:!max-w-full [&amp;_img]:w-full [&amp;_img]:md:w-[revert-layer]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"max-h-[50rem] max-w-full aspect-[16\/10] object-cover\" src=\"https:\/\/media.rnztools.nz\/rnz\/image\/upload\/s--QDD309_y--\/t_kt-crop-16x10\/w_614\/f_auto\/q_auto:eco\/4JMHHLH_AFP__20260624__B88L3TP__v1__HighRes__VenezuelaEarthquake_jpg\" alt=\"People remain on a street following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Venezuela on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported, triggering panic in Caracas, according to AFP journalists. The tremor, which was followed by several aftershocks, was also felt in Colombia. (Photo by Manaure Quintero \/ AFP)\" width=\"614\" height=\"384\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"border-stroke-default w-full border-b py-12 text-sm *:inline table-caption caption-bottom mt-auto\">People remain on a street following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-foreground-secondary flex-shrink-0 ml-4\">AFP \/ Manaure Quintero<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Residents across Caracas, which was also hit by a deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake in 1967, rushed to evacuate as buildings shook.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>&#8220;There was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I&#8217;ve never experienced anything like it,&#8221; Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas, said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner in southern Caracas, said police helped her get out of her home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>&#8220;This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Another resident, a 41-year-old office worker who declined to be named, said she received an earthquake alert on her phone just before the shaking intensified.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>&#8220;It was a normal afternoon, and suddenly my phone sounded an earthquake alert,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>&#8220;As I picked it up and started listening to what it was saying, I first felt light shaking. Then, in less than two seconds, everything started moving.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pb-16 pt-8\">\n<div class=\"grid justify-center\">\n<figure class=\"mx-auto table\">\n<div class=\"image-ring flex w-full max-w-full -mx-16 md:mx-0 w-screen border-x-0 !max-w-[initial] md:w-[revert-layer] md:!max-w-full [&amp;_img]:w-full [&amp;_img]:md:w-[revert-layer]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"max-h-[50rem] max-w-full aspect-[16\/10] object-cover\" src=\"https:\/\/media.rnztools.nz\/rnz\/image\/upload\/s--mSn4Kx_M--\/t_kt-crop-16x10\/w_614\/f_auto\/q_auto:eco\/4JMHAML_AFP__20260624__B88K6ZA__v1__HighRes__VenezuelaEarthquake_jpg\" alt=\"Men react in front of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Venezuela on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported, triggering panic in Caracas, according to AFP journalists. The tremor, which was followed by several aftershocks, was also felt in Colombia. (Photo by Manaure QUINTERO \/ AFP)\" width=\"614\" height=\"384\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"border-stroke-default w-full border-b py-12 text-sm *:inline table-caption caption-bottom mt-auto\">Men react in front of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-foreground-secondary flex-shrink-0 ml-4\">MANAURE QUINTERO<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has been running the country since the US ouster of President Nicolas Maduro in January.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>She has hailed a new era of cooperation with the US and other countries, especially on oil, mining and other industries. The US embassy in Caracas said it was closely monitoring the aftermath of the quake and urged citizens in the country to seek secure shelter and avoid damaged areas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clear-left pt-16 mb-12 [&amp;_h2]:text-md [&amp;_h3]:text-md [&amp;_h4]:text-md\">\n<h3 class=\"text-md-lg leading-snug font-sans-semibold\">Hospitals brace for the injured<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Fire trucks were seen on the streets of Caracas, where some buildings suffered significant facade damage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>At Caracas&#8217; Hospital de Clinicas, staff were asked to double up on the night shift to help treat the injured, a worker there said. Video filmed at the hospital showed a darkened hallway with ceiling panels hanging by cables and pieces of plaster scattered across the floor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Other videos on social media appeared to show significant damage at Venezuela&#8217;s main airport, while residents reported collapsed buildings in La Guaira, a coastal city near Caracas. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage from the airport and La Guaira.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Some municipalities of Caracas cancelled classes and local events through Monday (US Time), as authorities began to take stock of the damage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clear-left pt-16 mb-12 [&amp;_h2]:text-md [&amp;_h3]:text-md [&amp;_h4]:text-md\">\n<h3 class=\"text-md-lg leading-snug font-sans-semibold\">Tsunami alert withdrawn<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands after the earthquake, and said hazardous waves could also affect Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. The warning was withdrawn about an hour later.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>Venezuela lies in a seismically active zone where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-serif-text leading-normal mb-12\">\n<p>An estimated 30,000 people were killed when a powerful quake caused widespread destruction in the cities of Merida and Caracas in 1812, according to the USGS.<\/p>\n<p>Source: Reuters &amp; RNZ<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Damage seen in Caracas, scientists warn of widespread destruction USGS says 44 percent chance of 10,000-100,000 fatalities Residents flee into the streets as buildings shake, some collapse Tsunami threat issued but quickly withdrawn Strong earthquakes struck west of Venezuela&#8217;s capital bringing down buildings in Caracas, trapping people in the rubble and prompting scientists to warn [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":17762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[177],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17761"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17763,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17761\/revisions\/17763"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}