India, June 26 -- Two major earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on 24 June 2026 just 39 seconds apart, in what seismologists call a doublet earthquake.

The first quake, measuring magnitude 7.2, hit near San Felipe, followed less than a minute later by a stronger 7.5-magnitude shock.

Doublet earthquakes are rare: data suggests only 42 events above magnitude 6 have been recorded in the past 120 years.

The twin shocks caused widespread damage, with at least 235 people killed, more than 4,300 injured and over 40,000 reported missing.

For most earthquakes, the strongest shock is followed by smaller aftershocks. But on June 25, 2026 in northern Venezuela, two major quakes struck in under a minute - a rare sequence known as a doublet earth...