Venezuela’s ‘unusual’ quakes 39 seconds apart could mirror Kaikōura’s 2016 rupture

Thursday, 25 June 2026

Two major earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck Venezuela within 39 seconds of each other.

Thousands of people are feared dead, and Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has declared a state of emergency.

New Zealand seismologist Sam Taylor-Offord says the event is 'geologically unusual' and may actually be a complex multi-fault rupture rather than two distinct earthquakes.

The unfolding disaster could mirror New Zealand’s 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, which involved more than 20 fault ruptures.

The powerful back-to-back earthquakes that struck Venezuela may ultimately prove to be a complex fault rupture similar to New Zealand’s 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, a local seismologist says.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially recorded two large earthquakes hitting Venezuela on Wednesday (local time). They measured magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, occurring just 39 seconds apart in close proximity.

Earth Sciences NZ seismologist Sam Taylor-Offord said the sequence was geologically unusual, but cautioned that scientists were still relying on distant seismic recordings that can blur the details of what actually occurred.

“Presently the USGS has the Venezuela earthquakes as magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 initiating 39 seconds apart in close proximity but with opposite senses of motion. This is geologically unusual and may not reflect what has actually happened,” he said.

Taylor-Offord said earthquake doublets — where two large quakes occur close together in time and location — were not uncommon, particularly in tectonically active regions.

Scientists were still determining whether the Venezuela event involved two distinct earthquakes or a more complicated rupture involving multiple faults.

Taylor-Offord pointed to New Zealand’s own experience during the 2021 East Cape earthquake, when initial analysis suggested a single event before later modelling revealed two separate earthquakes with different faulting mechanisms.

He said the current Venezuela sequence could similarly be revised into a complex rupture, comparable to the Kaikōura earthquake, which involved more than 20 fault ruptures.

“The most important thing now though is not the intricacies of the earthquake rupture but the likely effects and ongoing hazards,” he said.

Taylor-Offord noted there was currently no tsunami threat, but warned aftershocks were likely to continue for days, weeks and even months.

Those aftershocks could trigger further structural damage and landslides, particularly in steep terrain.

Thousands of people were feared dead in Venezuela after the earthquakes struck on Wednesday evening local time.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency, with the coastal state of La Guaira described as the hardest-hit area, where dozens of buildings collapsed and rescue operations remain underway.

Taylor-Offord said earthquakes such as those in Venezuela were also a reminder for New Zealanders to remain prepared.

“Remember to Drop, Cover and Hold if you feel shaking, and know your tsunami evacuation route if you live near the coast,” he said.