2025 Zulia earthquakes

Last updated
2025 Zulia earthquakes
2025-09-25 Mene Grande, Venezuela M6.3 earthquake shakemap (USGS).jpg
USGS Shakemap
Venezuela relief location map (+claimed).svg
Green pog.svg
Caracas
Green pog.svg
Maracaibo
Bullseye1.png
UTC  time2025-09-24 22:21:55
 2025-09-25 03:51:39
ISC  event 644206985
  644207002
USGS-ANSS ComCat
  ComCat
Local dateSeptember 24, 2025 (2025-09-24)
 September 24, 2025 (2025-09-24)
Local time18:21 VET
 23:51 VET
Duration30 seconds
Magnitude Mw 6.2
  Mw 6.3
Depth7.8 km (4.8 mi)
 14.0 km (8.7 mi)
Areas affected
Max. intensity MMI VIII (Severe)
Aftershocks20+
Casualties1 death, 110 injuries

Since September 24, 2025, a series of earthquakes has struck Zulia state, Venezuela. The largest were magnitude 6.2 Mw and 6.3 Mw , both located 24 and 27 km ENE of Mene Grande, at a depth of 7.8 and 14 km, respectively. [1] [2] The earthquakes caused at least one death, 110 injuries, and several homes were destroyed. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Tectonic setting

Mene Grande is located in a region where the Caribbean plate and South American plate interact. The Caribbean Plate is being pushed eastward and partially collides with the South American Plate. [6] The interaction of these plates creates a subduction or compression zone, which has contributed to the formation of geological features in the region. [7]

Among the region's fault systems, one of the main ones is the Boconó Fault, which runs through western Venezuela. This fault is active and has caused significant seismic movements in the past, such as in 1610 and 1894. [8] It is considered a reverse or compression fault, indicating that the Earth's crust is compressing and the plates are pushing against each other. [9]

Earthquakes

Moment of the first earthquake in Zulia, Venezuela, recorded by a store security camera.

Both earthquakes had an intensity of VIII according to the USGS. In Mene Grande, the intensity ranged from VII (very strong) to VI (strong), in Valera and Ciudad Ojeda, the intensity was VI (strong), while in Maracaibo it was between V (moderate), in Oranjestad, Aruba, the intensity was IV (light), as well as in Willemstad, Curaçao and the Venezuelan city of Barquisimeto. In Caracas, the earthquake was perceived with an intensity of III (weak). [1] [2] The earthquake was felt on the island of Bonaire and in the Colombian cities of Cúcuta, Bucaramanga, Maicao, Valledupar, Riohacha, Santa Marta and Barranquilla, where high-rise buildings and offices were evacuated. [10] [3] The earthquakes was felt as far away as Medellin, more than 660 kilometers away. [11]

Approximately 31 minutes before the first major earthquake, a foreshock with a magnitude of 3.9 Mw occurred in the same area. [12] The Venezuelan Foundation of Seismological Research (Funvisis) estimated the first earthquake as a 5.4, while the second was placed at 6.0. [13] [14] International organizations marked the first event as a 6.2, while the second as a 6.3. [15]

Damage and casualties

View of the dome of the Church of Santa Barbara in Maracaibo, which severely damaged by the earthquake that occurred some time later. Iglesia Santa Barbara.jpg
View of the dome of the Church of Santa Bárbara in Maracaibo, which severely damaged by the earthquake that occurred some time later.

A 70-year old man died of a heart attack in Lara State, [4] at least 110 people were hospitalized for panic attacks or injuries, more than 44 homes collapsed and several others were damaged. [5] [16] [17]

The state hardest hit by this earthquake was Zulia, where objects fell from supermarket shelves, large ground fissures were seen, homes were damaged or destroyed, power outages and traffic lights were knocked out in Mene Grande and Pampán. [18] [15] [19] [20] [21] Part of the San José High School in Lagunillas was reportedly destroyed, as was a family home in the same town. [5] [22] At least 16 homes collapsed in the state. [23] In the Mara Municipality  [ es ], several stilt houses collapsed and 107 people were hospitalized. [5]

Material damage was reported to businesses, the Southern General Hospital, and the Santa Bárbara Church in Maracaibo, several people fainted at the Galerías Mall, radio mast towers were tilted and traffic lights were damaged in the same city. [24] [25] The St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral and the Convent of San Francisco de Asís were also affected by the earthquake. [26] Power and electricity outages were reported in Jesús Enrique Lossada Municipality. [27] The Modin Building was affected and cracks could be seen in its columns. [28]

Some structural cracks appeared in the states of Miranda, Trujillo, and Barinas. [29] [30] The Luis Razett Hospital in Pueblo Nuevo suffered structural damage. [23] A bridge in Baralt Municipality was affected by cracks that required an exhaustive review to determine the stability of the structures. [31] In the same municipality, about 50 homes were damaged or destroyed and the drinking water infrastructure and several roads were affected. [32] In Caracas, some windows and doors collapsed. [27]

In the Lara state, 28 homes destroyed and more than 32 were damaged. [17] [33] According to the governor of Lara, Luis Reyes Reyes  [ es ], 65% of the homes in the Montaña Verde parish, in Torres municipality, were left uninhabitable [34] and three people were injured by falling debris. [35] In the Matajey hamlet, belonging to the same municipality, at least 57 houses were affected, of these, 25 were completely damaged. [33]

In Colombia, two houses were reported damaged in Ocaña, Norte de Santander. [36]

Response

Initially, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated that no damage had been reported following the first earthquake. [37] However, many alternative news outlets had previously shared images and videos of damaged structures on social media. [15] Minutes later, Luis Gerardo Caldera, governor of Zulia, stated via social media that authorities were conducting damage assessments in the area. [31] Following the earthquake, President Nicolás Maduro calling the Venezuelan population to a national drill to address armed conflicts and natural disasters on September 27. [38] The mayor of Bucaramanga, in Colombia, carried out damage control in his area. [15] Vice president Delcy Rodríguez declared the country on high alert. [39] The University of Zulia suspended classes for 24 hours following the earthquakes. [40]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "M 6.2 - 24 km ENE of Mene Grande, Venezuela". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  2. 1 2 "M 6.3 - 27 km ENE of Mene Grande, Venezuela". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  3. 1 2 "Four powerful earthquakes rock Venezuela, tremors felt in Colombia". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  4. 1 2 Waldimir (2025-09-25). "Fallece Hombre tras sufrir un infarto durante el sismo en Lara". Diario La Calle (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Puente sobre el Lago sin afectaciones tras sismos registrados en Zulia". El Carabobeño (in Spanish). 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  6. "Venezuela sísmica". www.funvisis.gob.ve. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  7. LaOtraVersion.com (2025-09-25). "¿Sabes de donde provienen los eventos telúricos en el Zulia?". La Otra Versión (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  8. Audemard Mennessier, Franck A. (1997-09-01). "Holocene and historical earthquakes on the Boconó fault system, southern Venezuelan Andes: Trench confirmation". Journal of Geodynamics. Paleoseismology: Understanding Past Earthquakes Using Quaternary Geology. 24 (1): 155–167. doi:10.1016/S0264-3707(96)00037-3. ISSN   0264-3707.
  9. Alvarado, Miguel; Gabriela, Cantos; Pérez, Edwin; Audemard, Franck. "CARTOGRAFÍA NEOTECTÓNICA DE LA FALLA DE BOCONÓ ENTRE TABAY Y LA TOMA, MÉRIDA- VENEZUELA". Boletín de Geología (in Spanish). 37 (2): 47–55. ISSN   0120-0283.
  10. "Videos muestran daños tras terremoto en Venezuela". Teletica (in European Spanish). 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  11. Altavoz, Diario (2025-09-25). "Sismo de magnitud 5,4 sacude Venezuela y Colombia". Altavoz (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  12. Valdez, Magdalena (2025-09-25). "Fuertes sismos con magnitud 5.4 y 3.9 sacudieron a Venezuela". La Radio del Sur (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  13. "Reportaron un temblor en Caracas y varios estados del país". El Diario (in Spanish). 2025-09-24. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  14. "Terror en Caracas: un terremoto de 6.0 sacudió la ciudad de Venezuela". Diario Huarpe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "4 Strong Earthquakes Strike Venezuela". 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  16. CRUZ, Jhorman. "Carreteras, Hospitales Y Casas Agrietadas En El Epicentro De Temblores En Venezuela". barrons (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  17. 1 2 Campos, Heidi (2025-09-26). "Sismos ocasionaron daños a viviendas en los estados Lara y Zulia". El Oriental de Monagas (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  18. "Los videos de los temblores que impactaron barrios, iglesias y hospitales en Venezuela". infobae (in European Spanish). 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  19. "Una serie de temblores sacude Venezuela y causa temor en la población". SWI swissinfo.ch (in Spanish). 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  20. Parra, Ángela Urrea (2025-09-25). "¿Dónde queda Mene Grande, el epicentro de fuertes temblores en Venezuela que dejaron varios daños?". Noticias Caracol (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  21. "Videos: Daños, sustos y calles abiertas por los 10 sismos que se registraron en Venezuela y se sintieron en ciudades de Colombia". El Colombiano (in European Spanish). AFP. 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  22. "Daños en bohio de un colegio en Lagunillas tras sismo". Instagram. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  23. 1 2 "Un terremoto de magnitud 6.3 sacude Venezuela y daña varios hospitales de la región del Zulia". El Mundo (in Spanish). 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  24. Blanco, David Martínez (2025-09-25). "Las espectaculares imágenes del terremoto en Venezuela: así se han vivido los temblores en varias ciudades". elconfidencial.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  25. "Terremoto sacude Trujillo, Venezuela, con magnitud 6.2". Sociedad Noticias (in Spanish). 2025-09-24. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  26. "Reporta gobernador de Zulia 15 viviendas afectadas tras sismos en Venezuela". El Comentario (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  27. 1 2 Battaglia, Marianel (2025-09-25). "Los impactantes videos de los temblores en Venezuela que dejaron grietas en casas, iglesias derrumbadas y el país en vilo". La Voz De Ibiza (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  28. Carabobeño, El (2025-09-26). "Sismos causaron daños en viviendas y edificaciones de Lara y Zulia – Correo del Caroní" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  29. "Terremoto sacudió a Venezuela y Colombia: Videos muestran el caos que provocó el movimiento telúrico". Meganoticias (in Spanish). 2025-09-24. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  30. "No te pierdas las impactantes imágenes del terremoto de 6,3 en Venezuela: escenas de caos en diversas ciudades". Atalayar (in Spanish). 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  31. 1 2 "Zulia evalúa daños en hospitales, un puente y una iglesia tras sismo". Globovisión (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  32. "Cuantifican daños en la localidad afectada por sismos en el occidente de Venezuela". Swissinfo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  33. 1 2 "57 casas afectadas por la actividad sísmica en el caserío Matejei, en el municipio Torres" (in Spanish). 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  34. Carabobeño, El (2025-09-26). "Sismos causaron daños en viviendas y edificaciones de Lara y Zulia – Correo del Caroní" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  35. Nacional, El (2025-09-26). "Sismos en Lara dejaron 28 viviendas con pérdida total y más de 15 con daños estructurales". EL NACIONAL (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  36. Estévez, Elibardo León (2025-09-25). "Fuerte sismo generó múltiples emergencias en la zona de frontera". RCN Radio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  37. Singh, Divyadeep (2025-09-25). "Venezuela earthquake: 6.2 magnitude earthquake jolts South American country; strong tremors reported". The Economic Times. ISSN   0013-0389 . Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  38. "Maduro llama a un simulacro frente a los desastres naturales y los conflictos armados en Venezuela". RFI. 2025-09-26. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  39. "Seismic swarm shakes western Venezuela: tremors of up to 6.3 magnitude reported". CiberCuba. 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  40. Campos, Heidi (2025-09-25). "La Universidad del Zulia suspendió clases durante 24 horas". El Oriental de Monagas (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-26.