Mw 7.2 and Mw 7.5 Venezuela Earthquakes Post-Event Report

Key headlines

• On June 24, 2026 at 22:05 UTC, two strike-slip earthquakes ruptured the Boconó and San Sebastian faults near the transform boundary between the Caribbean and South American plates in short succession – an Mw 7.2 followed 40 seconds later by an Mw 7.5.
• The epicenters were in Yaracuy, about 174 km west of Caracas, and the shallow (10-20km depth) rupture traveled east, going offshore and crossing back onto land near Caracas and stopping just east of the city.
• The maximum slip on the fault is estimated to be 2-3 meters. The shallow depths of the earthquakes increased the damage potential of the shaking, since less energy dissipates within the crust before reaching the surface.
• This earthquake sequence is considered a doublet, in which two earthquakes occur close in time, space, and magnitude. An Mw 7.5 releases 3 times more energy than an Mw 7.2; the total energy release is equivalent to a single Mw 7.6.
• As of July 15, 2026, the death toll has risen to 4,700, with more than 17,000 injured, 17,900 left homeless, and 39,000 reported missing.
• An estimated 850 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including 190 collapsed mid- and high-rise buildings. The worst damage was seen in Caracas and La Guaira, in dense commercial and residential districts.