EXPLAINERVenezuela and Japan are both hit by strong quakes, but Venezuela faces higher risks due to weaker building standards.By ReutersPublished On 25 Jun 202625 Jun 2026|Updated: 2 hours agoUpdated: 2 hours agoTwo powerful earthquakes have hit Venezuela, killing at least 164 people and injuring 971 as dozens of buildings collapsed into piles of shattered concrete and steel in and around the capital, Caracas.The Central American region is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it lies along a highly active tectonic zone. Here is what we know:What happened in Venezuela?About 6:04pm (22:04 GMT) on Wednesday, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160km (100 miles) west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 quake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).The Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency, and the USGS warned that the death toll could rise.Using predictive modelling to estimate the death toll, the USGS predicted deaths could reach into the thousands and said there is a substantial probability that they could exceed 10,000.Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo reported from Bogota in neighbouring Colombia that the heaviest damage occurred in Caracas, particularly in the Altamira district, where emergency crews pulled survivors from the rubble of a 22-storey building while relatives searched for missing family members. Officials said they are still assessing the full extent of the destruction.The USGS has also warned of strong aftershocks in the coming days. (Al Jazeera)How vulnerable is Venezuela to earthquakes?The country has a long history of devastating earthquakes because it is located along the boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates. Advertisement In 1812, a powerful earthquake roiled the cities of Merida and Caracas, killing about 30,000 people, according to the USGS.In 1967, another earthquake hit Caracas, causing several high-rise buildings to collapse and killing 240 people.The USGS said the larger of Wednesday’s e …
