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The Conversation
Sylvain Barbot, Professor of Earth Sciences, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Venezuela’s deadly earthquakes happened on a fault similar to the San Andreas, and the risks aren’t over yet – a geophysicist explains

A June 24, 2026, earthquake shook buildings to the ground, trapping and killing people in Caracas, Venezuela, and nearby communities. Manaure Quintero/AFP via Getty Images

Venezuela and its capital, Caracas, were rocked by two massive earthquake pulses on June 24, 2026, just seconds apart. The shaking from the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 events caused buildings to collapse in cities across the northern part of the country, killing more than 1,400 people and trapping many more, government officials reported.

University of Southern California geophysicist Sylvain Barbot explained what’s known about the earthquake pulses so far, what risks are still ahead and why Californians should pay attention.

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