Full Breakdown
Venezuela’s June 2026 Earthquakes Halt Baseball Season and Leave Families Missing
6/26/2026, 5:02:52 AM
Dual Quakes Devastate Caracas and La Guaira
On the evening of 25 June 2026, two quakes struck Venezuela less than a minute apart. The USGS recorded a magnitude 7.2 tremor at 6:04 p.m. and a magnitude 7.5 shock at 6:05 p.m., centered about 28 km southeast of Yumare, Yaracuy. The shocks devastated Caracas and the coastal city of La Guaira, causing building collapses and closing Simon Bolívar International Airport.
Historical Context
They were the strongest quakes in more than a century and the worst disaster since the 1999 Vargas landslides, which killed more than 10 000 people and reshaped the coastal region.
Chronology of the Shocks
- 6:04 p.m.: 7.2 magnitude quake begins shaking.
- 6:05 p.m.: 7.5 magnitude quake intensifies damage.
- Minutes later: Hotel Eduards collapses; families of baseball players trapped.
- 6:10 – 6:30 p.m.: Rescue operations launch; baseball games in Caracas and Barquisimeto are halted.
- 7:00 p.m.: Federación Venezolana de Béisbol president Aracelis Leon suspends all baseball activity.
Casualties and Damage
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez reported at least 164 deaths and more than 1 000 injuries. Numerous structures in both cities partially or totally collapsed, straining emergency services.
Impact on Baseball Families
Hotel Eduards housed families of Liga Mayor de Béisbol Profesional (LMBP) players. The wife and daughter of former MLB infielder Eliezer Alfonso and the wife of former Red Sox outfielder Gorkys Hernández were reported missing. Former MLB pitcher Jenrry Mejía escaped unharmed. La Guaira native Kelvim Escobar posted on X expressing uncertainty about his granddaughter and her mother, conveying desperation.
Government and Federation Responses
President Rodríguez confirmed the casualty figures and pledged resources for rescue. Baseball federation president Aracelis Leon ordered an immediate halt to all LMBP games, and the league formally suspended the season pending further assessment.
Eyewitness Accounts
Samanes de Aragua coach Alvaro Espinoza told Carlos Baerga that he saw a cloud of dust and heard relatives calling for help, describing the shock among players as they rushed to locate family members after the hotel collapsed. Video from Estadio Universitario showed a game between Marineros de Carabobo and Senadores de Caracas halted as the stadium shook.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I see a cloud of dust and what I hear is: the relatives, the relatives! We are all in shock… I saw the players start running, they were going to see [if they could find] their relatives because the hotel had collapsed,” — Alvaro Espinoza, Coach, Samanes de Aragua
- “I don’t know anything about my granddaughter and her mother. What desperation” — Kelvim Escobar, Former MLB pitcher
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Casualty numbers are confirmed, but the exact count of missing family members remains unclear; no official tally of unaccounted hotel guests has been released.
What’s Next
Rescue teams keep searching Hotel Eduards rubble while the Federación Venezolana de Béisbol evaluates a timeline to resume play. Government officials have pledged ongoing support for affected families as the nation recovers.
