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Venezuela Twin Earthquake: Greek Eyewitnesses Say “It Felt Like a Bombing”

The death toll from the devastating twin earthquake in Venezuela continues to rise, with tens of thousands still missing. No Greek nationals have been reported among the fatalities following the catastrophic **7.2 and 7.5 magnitude**…

Venezuela Twin Earthquake: Greek Eyewitnesses Say “It Felt Like a Bombing”
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The death toll from the devastating twin earthquake in Venezuela continues to rise, with tens of thousands still missing. No Greek nationals have been reported among the fatalities following the catastrophic **7.2 and 7.5 magnitude** tremors. The official death toll stands at at least **164 killed and more than 1,000 injured**, though authorities fear the numbers will climb significantly as search and rescue operations push deeper into the rubble. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced that all emergency services have been fully mobilized, with military units, firefighters, police, and volunteers working around the clock in the hardest-hit areas.

Read also: Seismologist on Venezuela’s twin earthquake: “The energy released was equal to 180 Hiroshima atomic bombs” — What scientists expect in the coming hours (Video)

Greek eyewitnesses share harrowing accounts of Venezuela’s twin earthquake

Greeks living in Venezuela have been speaking out about the terrifying moments they experienced. Speaking to ANT1 television, Theodoros Marangelis, President of the Greek Community of Venezuela, said: “We live in a tall apartment building — 14 floors — and the whole building was dancing. We were watching TV and realized it was an earthquake, but we never expected it to be this powerful. We’ve felt tremors before, but nothing anywhere near as strong as yesterday’s.” Alexandros Kakalanos, a Greek dentist based in Venezuela, also spoke to ANT1: “The house shook quite a lot. Glass fell, windows shattered, mirrors broke. People were sitting watching football. Suddenly my phone flashed an alert — ‘Warning, warning, earthquake in your area.’ I started to run… less than 10 seconds passed and it hit — and it was shaking far more violently than anything we were used to. The first quake was 7.2 magnitude and lasted 30 seconds. Before the fear from the first one had even passed, the second one started — 7.5 magnitude, even stronger.“

Immediately after the 7.5 magnitude tremor, half the city was plunged into darkness and communications collapsed. “The power went out across half of Caracas. The phone signal dropped too — many people had no mobile service at all, though I managed to keep mine,” Mr. Kakalanos said. The President of the Greek Community of Venezuela confirmed that there are no reports of Greek casualties so far: “Thank God, we haven’t heard of anyone. Some homes have suffered damage, yes — but there are no injuries and no fatalities among Greeks.” He added: “We were told to stay dressed with our shoes on, ready to run if we had to. Keep mobile phones charged, don’t open the gas pipes in case it makes things worse, keep water on hand — basically, be prepared for a second and potentially worse tremor.“


“It felt like the city had been bombed”

Dina Antoniadis, a lawyer and member of the Greek community living in the Chacao district, described to ERTnews the dramatic moments she endured during the two powerful earthquakes. She was forced to evacuate her apartment on the 14th floor of a 24-storey building after it sustained serious structural damage and was declared unsafe. “There were two, maybe three very rapid and very powerful earthquakes. The first was 7.2 magnitude, and the second — which lasted longer — was 7.5. Panic took over. Apartment buildings collapsed all around us,” she recounted. She added that they were left without electricity for several hours. “We had no power and no way to communicate. Things are slowly getting back to normal now, which is why I’m finally able to speak with you.“

Describing the scenes inside her apartment, the Greek resident painted a picture of unprecedented destruction. “Everything came crashing down. TVs were destroyed, chunks of concrete fell, walls cracked open. It felt like the city had been bombed. We were absolutely terrified.” Although the building did not collapse, residents were forced to evacuate via the stairwells. “The pipes had burst and water was flooding everywhere. We made it down to the street, where security personnel and local officials were directing everyone to move away from the buildings.“


Venezuela earthquake: apocalyptic scenes as over 30,000 remain missing — voices heard beneath the rubble

The disaster began on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 24, 2026, when a powerful 7.2 magnitude tremor struck the northern part of the country. Before residents could even react, just 39 seconds later, a second and even stronger 7.5 magnitude earthquake followed. The two successive tremors caused massive destruction across multiple regions and were felt hundreds of kilometres away. According to seismologists, this is an exceptionally rare phenomenon known as a seismic “doublet,” which can dramatically multiply the consequences of a natural disaster.

The greatest tragedy is unfolding in La Guaira, the coastal state bearing the brunt of the destruction. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that more than 100 buildings have collapsed, while entire city blocks have been reduced to mountains of concrete and twisted steel — images that capture the sheer scale of the catastrophe.



The region has been officially declared a state of emergency. It is also home to the country’s main international airport, which suffered significant damage and remains closed. Aerial footage is nothing short of shocking. Apartment buildings have been entirely flattened, roads have been split open, and whole neighbourhoods appear to have been wiped off the map.

Rescue operations are ongoing without pause. Rescue workers, soldiers, and volunteers are working non-stop, using heavy machinery as well as their bare hands to clear the rubble. In several locations, the voices of people still trapped beneath collapsed buildings can still be heard. Harrowing footage shows rescuers scaling the ruins of half-demolished apartment blocks, defying the risk of further collapses. In one rescue operation, a section of a building gave way beneath a rescuer’s feet, sending waves of anguish through onlookers below. Despite the extraordinary challenges, there have been moments of hope — three young children were pulled alive from the debris, their rescue met with applause and tears of relief.

A 14-year-old girl was pulled alive from the rubble in Caracas, while three young children were rescued from a damaged building in La Guaira to cheers and tears of relief from those gathered at the scene.

Another deeply moving moment to emerge from the disaster has been circulating widely online — footage of rescue workers giving water to a dog trapped in the rubble to help it hold on until it could be freed, and a man venturing back into his damaged home to save his two dogs, a moment that has touched hearts around the world.

Among the videos capturing global attention, one filmed in El Junquito on the outskirts of Caracas stands out above all others. As the ground shakes violently, a young man’s voice can be heard crying out in desperation: “Mamá, mamá!” The footage encapsulates the fear, panic, and anguish experienced by millions of people in the span of just a few terrifying seconds.

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