Just months after the capture of President Nicols Maduro, which brought Caracas into global headlines, Venezuela is once again commanding the world’s attention. But this time the rupture is not political, it’s geological.
Twin earthquakes that struck the northern region of Venezuela on June 24 devastated towns, damaged major cities and sent shockwaves through the densely populated corridor.
Venezuelan authorities said at least 235 bodies had been received by hospitals, while Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said around 70,000 families in La Guaira state had been affected.
Crowdsourced damage data compiled by TerremotoVenezuela, an open- documented more than 700 damaged structures across northern Venezuela.
India Today’s Open videos, damage reports, building databases and geological fault systems to understand how the disaster unfolded. The analysis shows that much of the destruction followed Venezuela’s northern corridor, the same densely populated belt that also overlaps with some of the country’s most active fault systems.
To visualise the extent of the destruction, India Today analysed crowdsourced damage data compiled by TerremotoVenezuela, eyewitness accounts and social media posts. The dataset records more than 700 damaged structures across northern Venezuela.
A 50 metre buffer was created around each reported damaged building to estimate the immediate impact zone, considering that building collapses and severe structural failures often affect surrounding areas through debris, secondary damage and safety hazards. The resulting map highlights the concentration of damage along Venezuela’s northern corridor and zooms into La Guaira, one of the cities most severely affected by the earthquakes.
Analysis suggests a total of 701 damaged structures so far across the coastal region, including 187 buildings with total damage, 240 with severe damage and 282 with partial damage.
According to the US Geological Survey, the first magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck west of Morón, about 170 kilometres west of Caracas, shortly after 6 pm local time on June 24. Less than a minute later, a stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck southwest of Morón, roughly 160 kilometres from the Venezuelan capital. The second, “shallower rupture” amplified shaking across northern Venezuela.
The USGS PAGER (Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response) model painted an even grimmer picture. The agency estimated a substantial probability that the final death toll could rise into the thousands, with some scenarios projecting fatalities above 10,000.
La Guaira emerged as one of the worst-hit regions, which also hosts Venezuela’s principal international airport. The Venezuelan Red Cross headquarters and the French Embassy suffered damage, while parts of the airport infrastructure near Caracas were affected after ceiling panels collapsed inside terminal buildings. Reuters footage from the coast also showed Eduard’s Hotel Boutique, a beachfront hotel nearly completely destroyed, making it one of the most visible symbols of the disaster.
Caracas also experienced severe shaking despite being roughly 160 kilometres east of the epicentral area. Residents rushed into the streets as buildings swayed and debris fell from apartment blocks and commercial structures.
Local media reports and the crowdsourced database suggest that Residencias Obelisco in Caracas was among the large residential complexes heavily damaged by the earthquake. In its assessment of more than 700 damaged structures, TerremotoVenezuela also identified damage to several apartment buildings in the capital, including INA Residences, Karina Residences, Otama Suites and Antillano Park Residence.
Building 4 of the Conjunto Residencial Bosque Lindo complex in Turmero, Aragua, collapsed completely during the earthquake. Aragua Governor Joana Snchez said rescue teams were searching for an estimated 17 people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble as emergency crews continued operations at the site.
Further east along the coast, the communities of Macuto, Catia La Mar, Naiguat and Caraballeda also appeared repeatedly in the damage database.
Reuters also reported damage to at least eight hospitals across the affected region as rescue teams continued searching collapsed buildings and emergency services responded to widespread structural damage.
The question that now emerges is why northern Venezuela repeatedly experiences destructive earthquakes. The answer lies beneath the country’s coastline.
WHY IS THE NORTHERN COAST OF VENEZUELA PRONE TO SEVERE TREMORS?
Northern Venezuela sits along the boundary between the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate. The Caribbean Plate moves eastward relative to South America, gradually building tectonic stress along the country’s northern margin.
This movement is accommodated through several major strike-slip faults that run parallel to the coast. Among the most important is the San Sebastin Fault, which extends along northern Venezuela and passes relatively close to Caracas and La Guaira.
Further east lies the El Pilar Fault, another major active structure that has produced damaging earthquakes in eastern Venezuela. The Boconó Fault system in western Venezuela also contributes to regional seismicity.
Morón lies within this active tectonic corridor. La Guaira and Caracas also sit within the broader zone influenced by these fault systems. The concentration of population along the northern coast increases the potential impact of large earthquakes.
Caracas faces an additional challenge. The city sits inside a valley surrounded by the Coastal Cordillera mountains. Seismic waves can become trapped and amplified within sediment-filled basins, producing stronger shaking.
La Guaira faces a different vulnerability. The city lies between steep mountains and the Caribbean Sea, leaving little room for urban expansion. Dense construction along narrow coastal strips increases exposure to strong ground motion.
Northern Venezuela has repeatedly suffered destructive earthquakes, from the 1812 Caracas earthquake to the 1967 Caracas and 1997 Cariaco events.
Venezuela’s seismicity is largely driven by the horizontal movement between the Caribbean and South American plates, leaving cities such as Morón, La Guaira and Caracas vulnerable to recurring seismic disasters. Although earthquakes remain among the few natural disasters that cannot be predicted, resilient rebuilding efforts and rapid humanitarian assistance can help reduce their long-term impact.
INDIA LAUNCHES OPERATION AMISTAD
Since the disaster unfolded, India has extended a helping hand to Venezuela. Under Operation Amistad, meaning “friendship” in Spanish, India dispatched relief supplies, medicines and medical equipment to the earthquake-hit nation.
The Indian government said the operation involved two Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft carrying more than 35 tonnes of relief supplies, medicines and medical equipment from Hindon Air Force Station.
Using publicly available ADS-B flight tracking data, India Today’s OSINT team was able to track one IAF C-17 Globemaster that was likely heading towards Venezuela as part of the relief mission.
The mission also includes an Indian Army field hospital unit and two BHISHM Cube mobile medical systems to support emergency response and medical care.
– Ends
