The Venezuela government declared a state of emergency after two powerful earthquakes caused widespread damage across parts of the country, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said late on Wednesday.
Rodríguez announced the measure in a televised address, describing the situation as an incident with serious consequences.
She did not provide immediate details on the scale of the damage or potential casualties, saying priority was being given to rescue operations.
Authorities suspended school classes, halted rail services, and closed the international airport in the capital Caracas due to damage, Rodríguez said.
The USGS measured the two earthquakes at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, putting them among the strongest seismic events globally so far this year.
The second and stronger quake struck at a shallow depth of around 10 kilometres, raising fears of significant damage and possible casualties.
Rescue teams were searching for possibly trapped people.
In Caracas, buildings collapsed, according to television footage.
Social media videos showed damage to buildings, including at Caracas airport.
Footage also showed frightened passengers at the airport attempting to reach safety as the ground shook and dust clouds rose.
“We are dealing with an extremely alarming situation,” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on television, adding that some buildings had collapsed and urging residents to take shelter.
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The quake was felt in at least seven states, he said, warning that aftershocks were likely and could cause further structural failures in already damaged buildings.
Officials also ordered gas supplies to be shut off as a precaution to prevent explosions.
The epicentre of the first quake, which hit at 6:04 pm, 22:04 GMT, was located 24 kilometres east of San Felipe in north-western Venezuela at a depth of 21.9 kilometres, according to USGS data.
The second, stronger quake struck just a few kilometres further north.
More than 400,000 people live in the nearby cities of Puerto Cabello and San Felipe, according to the USGS.
An automatic model calculation by the USGS based on the magnitude of the quake and the proximity of several cities indicated a very high likelihood of significant casualties.
The capital Caracas, from where the first images and reports emerged, was not particularly close to the epicentre, but more than 150 kilometres to the east.
Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize laureate and opposition leader María Corina Machado, who is currently not in Venezuela, wrote on X: “My heart, my infinite embrace and my prayers go out in these hours of hardship to every Venezuelan family.
“May strength, calm, and solidarity prevail among us in this difficult time.”
NAN
