Two major earthquakes have hit two different sides of the world within minutes of each other, with damage as yet unknown.
According to The New York Times, the bigger of the two quakes hit Venezuela Wednesday evening, with the epicenter of the 7.1-magnitude event occurring 17 miles from the town of Montalbán at 6:04 p.m. Venezuela time.
Less than half an hour later, in another hemisphere, a 6.9-magnitude quake hit off the coast of Japan, with Earthquake Track reporting the epicenter was a little over 20 miles east northeast of Kuji.
#Earthquake (#地震) confirmed by seismic data.⚠Preliminary info: M6.9 || 91 km E of #Hachinohe (#Japan) || 6 min ago (local time 07:30:12). Follow the thread for the updates👇 pic.twitter.com/zSgtAjCKkf
— EMSC (@LastQuake) June 24, 2026
That quake occurred in the early morning hours of Friday, Japan time.
And now a 6.9 reported off the Japan coast https://t.co/cBr0Bf7Ny9
— Steve Lookner (@lookner) June 24, 2026
Early reports indicated the Venezuelan earthquake was the more destructive of the two events.
“Although the quake’s epicenter was on land, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said tsunami waves were possible along the coasts of Venezuela, Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba,” the New York Times reported.
The Associated Press said that tsunami advisories were extended to American possessions in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Will you please join us in praying for the victims in both hemispheres?
In addition, footage uploaded to social media allegedly showed buildings collapsing up to 120 miles away in the capital of Caracas.
Unconfirmed reports of structure collapses in Caracas, Venezuela after a 7.1 earthquake hit roughly 120 miles away https://t.co/NKFAYAKyaI
— Steve Lookner (@lookner) June 24, 2026
The AP reported that Venezuelans “evacuated swaying buildings and homes in the capital.”
WATCH: Terrifying Moment Powerful 7.1-Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Caracas, Venezuela pic.twitter.com/D9A5cXEV6e
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 24, 2026
The last major earthquake event to hit Venezuela came last September, when four separate quakes hit the northwest area of the country.
A 70-year-old man died, and over a hundred were injured, according to reports.
The last quake of this magnitude to hit Venezuela was in 2018, when a 7.2-magnitude quake killed more than 400 people. According to Al Jazeera, more than 80 percent of the country’s population lives in active seismic zones.
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