International Desk — A catastrophic state of emergency has been declared in Venezuela after two powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck the northwestern region of the country in less than a minute.

The twin seismic disasters have claimed at least 32 lives and left nearly 700 people injured, according to official updates confirmed by Interim President Delcy Rodriguez and reported by the BBC.

Officials fear the casualties could rise exponentially as rescue teams struggle to reach heavily impacted zones.

The disaster unfolded rapidly on Wednesday evening (June 24, 2026). According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the first tremor—measuring a massive 7.2 magnitude on the Richter scale—struck near San Felipe in the Yaracuy state.

In a harrowing turn of events, a second, even more violent 7.5 magnitude earthquake ruptured just 39 seconds later, compounding the structural damage and trapping residents under collapsing buildings.

Given the density of the affected towns and the sheer violence of the dual tremors, local authorities have warned of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with worst-case projections fearing total casualties could ultimately impact significantly higher numbers.

International eyes quickly turned to the unfolding tragedy.

US President Donald Trump addressed the disaster on his social media platform, Truth Social, noting the immense scale of the tremors. While he did not specify an exact casualty figure due to fluid data on the ground, he expressed deep concern over the massive devastation.

“The United States is prepared, willing, and able to help Venezuela!” President Trump stated, adding that he has already ordered all relevant federal agencies to prepare for rapid, immediate deployment of disaster relief resources.

With infrastructure heavily crippled, power grids down, and communication lines severed across Yaracuy and surrounding states, emergency personnel are currently working against the clock.

The declaration of a national state of emergency will allow the Venezuelan government to fast-track domestic resources and coordinate incoming international humanitarian aid to expedite critical search and rescue missions.