Woman holding a child at dusk in front of a collapsed building. The woman is looking away from us at the buildings beyond. The boy is looking directly at the camera.

Devastating images from the Venezuelan earthquake

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By the Visual Journalism team 25 June 2026 News

Two massive earthquakes struck Venezuela in the space of just a few minutes, bringing widespread devastation to the capital, Caracas, and surrounding towns.

As powerful tremors collapsed high-rise buildings and flattened homes, terrified residents fled into the streets, fearing another major quake.

Caution: readers may find some video and images in this story distressing

Video of people attempting to flee the Maiquetia airport as the earthquake hits.

Both earthquakes struck to the west of the capital Caracas - home to around 5 million people.

Map of Venezuela showing the Caracas in the north of the country and the epicenter of the earthquae to the west.

In the aftermath of the tremors, people gathered in the streets trying to call loved ones or find more information on their phones.

A large group of people gathers on a sidewalk outside a building, they are standing close together and most are using mobile phones. Some individuals have their pets with them. The scene appears busy and tense, with people clustered near the curb and along the wall. In the centre is a middle-aged woman in a blue tshirt, jeans and black sneakers. She is talking on the phone and looks concerned.

When night fell, the streets transformed into makeshift camps. Fearing severe aftershocks, thousands of residents decided it was safer to sleep out in the open rather than risk returning to their homes.

People gather on a grassy area at night, with several tents set up under trees and bright artificial lighting. In the foreground, a group of adults and children sits and stands around blankets laid on the grass, with bags and belongings placed nearby. Additional groups and tents are visible further back near a paved area with a monument at the centre.

A family gather at a busy street corner at night under streetlights, with traffic passing on the road nearby. The parents, wearing football shirts, stand talking while their kids sit in front of them on the kerb in the foreground.

Meanwhile the rescue effort had already begun and would continue through the night as emergency teams and volunteers attempted to locate people in the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Rescue workers and civilians stand and move across a large pile of rubble from a collapsed building at night, using tools and hands to search through debris. Broken bricks, concrete, and household items are scattered across the scene, while damaged apartment buildings are visible in the background under artificial lighting.

Rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building at night, with large broken concrete slabs lyiing on each other like dominoes. Several individuals wearing helmets and work gear stand or climb over the wreckage, while one person in a red uniform observes from the foreground. Nearby apartment buildings and a cloudy sky are visible in the background under artificial lighting.

Emergency responders attend to an injured person lying on a stretcher at night. The person has injuries to his the face and upper body and his hair is covered in dust. Several responders in uniforms, gloves, and protective gear surround the stretcher and provide assistance as they move him into an ambulance.

A rescue worker wearing a yellow helmet and high‑visibility uniform stands in the foreground of a disaster site. He looks determined but slightly shocked. A large pile of broken concrete, bricks, and debris behind them. It is night and a bright artificial light is illuminating the scene. Several other responders in orange and blue protective clothing work across the rubble in the background, searching through the wreckage. An official with his credentials pinned to his suit jacket stands at the side of the image.

The second of the two earthquakes released around three times the energy of the first and is one of the most powerful earthquakes in South America in over a century.

Images of completely flattened buildings continue to emerge as the death toll is expected to rise significantly over the coming days.

A multistorey building on the coast in La Guaira that has been completely destroyed.

The extent of the damage means that for many people, life will not return to normal for some time.

France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland have already committed to sending rescue workers as international aid begins to mobilize.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the American response to the disaster will be "big, it'll be fast, and it'll be effective." Meanwhile, both China and India have also announced they stand ready to provide assistance to Venezuela.