Twin powerful quakes rock Venezuela, buildings crumble in Caracas

Panic swept across Venezuela on Thursday after two powerful earthquakes struck within moments of each other, shaking buildings, disrupting infrastructure and sending terrified residents rushing into the streets of the capital, Caracas.

The twin tremors — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude — rattled the South American nation in a devastating one-two punch, collapsing structures and triggering fears of widespread damage across the Caribbean coastal region.

"We felt the ground heaving beneath our feet. Buildings swayed violently and people were screaming as they ran outside," said a Caracas resident who witnessed the chaos unfold.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared a nationwide state of emergency, warning that authorities were still assessing the full extent of the destruction. She also announced the closure of Simon Bolivar International Airport, the country's main aviation gateway, after the facility sustained damage during the quakes.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the first earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.2, struck west of the coastal community of Moron, approximately 168 kilometres west of Caracas. The quake originated at a depth of 22 kilometres.

Barely a minute later, an even more powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake erupted just 16 kilometres southwest of Moron at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, amplifying the destruction and panic.

Emergency crews have fanned out across affected areas as authorities race to assess damaged buildings, restore services and search for possible victims trapped under debris. Residents remain on edge amid concerns of aftershocks, with many choosing to stay outdoors long after the shaking stopped.

The back-to-back earthquakes rank among the strongest seismic events to hit Venezuela in recent years, leaving a shaken nation bracing for the scale of the disaster that may yet emerge.

With agency inputs