USGS Records 93 Quakes Worldwide, Including Venezuela Doublet With 7.2 And 7.5 Shocks

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded 93 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or stronger worldwide between June 19 and June 26, including a rare “doublet” in Venezuela.

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Charlotte Observer

Newsweek said the most significant event occurred on June 24 off Venezuela's northern coast, where two powerful earthquakes struck just seconds apart, with the USGS reporting an initial tremor of magnitude 7.2 followed 39 seconds later by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake.

El Mundo

The double earthquake disaster left hundreds dead and thousands injured, with early official reports citing at least 920 fatalities and more than 3,000 people hurt as rescue efforts continued.

Newsweek reported the epicenters were located near the country’s Caribbean coast, west of the capital city of Caracas, and that both tremors struck at relatively shallow depths.

Dr. Lucy Jones, a California-based seismologist, told ABC7 that the fault line responsible for the Venezuela disaster shares fundamental characteristics with California’s San Andreas Fault system and warned the disaster offers a “stark warning” for Southern California.

The European Commission said it was deploying rescue teams and other emergency assistance to Venezuela after two strong earthquakes caused numerous casualties on 24 June, and that so far eight Member States—Czechia, Spain, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands—were sending assistance through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

In Brussels, 26 June 2026, President Ursula von der Leyen said, “We stand with the people of Venezuela at this time of great tragedy and catastrophe. I thank all the Member States for their solidarity and speed – sending firefighters, rescue dogs, medical staff and other forms of assistance.”

Newsweek

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its Crisis Unit, the Embassy of Italy in Caracas and the Consulate General had been closely monitoring developments since the very first moments following the violent earthquake, and that an Italian Air Force flight coordinated by the Department of Italian Civil Protection was about to take off carrying medical staff and the Fire Brigade.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the flight would be part of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, which was activated yesterday at Venezuela’s request, and that the Crisis Unit team would liaise between the Italian Civil Protection, the Embassy and the local authorities.

Separately, the Charlotte Observer reported that USGS monitoring data showed groundwater levels fluctuated in the Carolinas as a result of the massive quakes in Venezuela, with the water level dropping by about two inches at a well near Minor Street in Anderson, South Carolina.

In an interview with EL MUNDO, Raúl Estévez, a Venezuelan geophysicist and professor at the University of the Andes in Mérida, said that of the 300 seismic monitoring stations that existed in the country, barely four are functioning.

“Brussels, 26 June 2026 The European Commission is deploying rescue teams and other emergency assistance to Venezuela after the occurrence of two strong earthquakes which caused numerous casualties on 24 June”

INSIGHT EU MONITORING

Estévez told EL MUNDO, “Since the end of the last century we had warned that probably the next big earthquake would be in western Venezuela,” and he described seismic gaps or zones of seismic silence along faults where earthquakes were likely to occur.

He said the epicenters were about 20 or 30 kilometers southwest of the city of Morón, where the Boconó and San Sebastián faults join, and he added that “We do not know exact details because there are very few seismic stations left in Venezuela.”

Newsweek reported that USGS estimated a very high probability of additional significant shaking and localized aftershocks in the days following the initial double rupture, posing ongoing hazards to rescue workers and compromised structures.

In the same EL MUNDO interview, Estévez advised Venezuelans to check for damage in the structure before re-entering and said aftershocks can be large and occur even weeks after the main event, with magnitudes of 5 or 6.