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

By the Visual Journalism team 26 June 2026 News

Two massive earthquakes struck Venezuela in the space of just a few minutes on Wednesday night, 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.
Footage of people fleeing through the halls of Maiquetía airport as debris fell around them

Both earthquakes struck to the west of 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.

One of the worst hit regions was La Guaira state, which sits on the coast to the north of Caracas. Satellite imagery captured before and after the earthquakes show how several buildings in the area were completely destroyed.

Satellite view of a residential area in La Guaira state before the earthquake, showing intact apartment buildings, swimming pools, and surrounding streets
Vantor
Satellite view of the same area showing multiple collapsed or partially destroyed buildings, with sections of debris highlighted by white boxes to indicate earthquake damage.
Vantor

On the ground, it is clear that many of the buildings that are still standing have been damaged beyond repair. Thousands of people have been left homeless.

A photo showing a heavily damaged apartment building with the sides of the structure having collapsed despite the centre columns remaining intact
Residents walk past collapsed and leaning apartment buildings, carrying belongings including mattresses and containers, on a street strewn with debris
A person climbs out of a window of a heavily damaged building tilted at an angle, with exposed insulation, broken frames, and debris visible

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.
An adult stands on a street holding a child in a close embrace, surrounded by several other people near buildings and a painted wall
A group of people gather along a roadside, some seated on a curb and holding children or belongings, while others stand nearby

Rescue efforts continued through the night on Thursday 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.
Silhouette of a person standing on piles of rubble between the remains of heavily damaged concrete structures with exposed steel reinforcement, backlit by a hazy sky
A person crouches on top of rubble surrounded by shattered masonry and debris, while another person stands on broken structures in the background amid dust and destroyed buildings
A person wearing protective gear emerges from a hole in a collapsed concrete structure as others reach in to assist, with broken slabs and heavy debris visible

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.

People in the foreground stare in concern at a heavily damaged multi‑storey apartment building with large sections of its exterior walls missing, exposing rooms, stairwells, and belongings inside. The building is framed by a pale-blue, cloudless sky. Debris is scattered at the base of the structure and another building stands on the edge of the frame looking as though it has similar damage.
Motorcyclists ride along a muddy, dusty street in front of a collapsed hotel. Only the columned entrance remains standing behind the perimeter railings. The rest of the building has collapsed in on itself in a concertina of concrete, glass and steel. The woman on the back of the lead bike is looking behind herself at the building.

Even where buildings weren't destroyed, the violent shaking has left local businesses having to clear up and repair extensive damage.

A man in dark jeans, hoodie and a cap stands at the far end of the aisle in a grocery store. The floor in the aisle is full of bottles of water, fruit drinks and cooking oil that have been hurled from the shelves by an earthquake. The man ia surveying the damage with a slight scowl on his face.

Credits

Images: Manaure Quintero/AFP, Juan Barreto/AFP, Federico Parra/AFP, Ronald Pena R/EPA/Shutterstock, Jesus Vargas/Getty Images, Rayner Pena/EPA/Shutterstock, Maxwell Briceno/Reuters, Gaby Oráa/Reuters, Maxwell Briceno/Reuters. Videos: @srahalh on X, and Reuters.

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