Acting Venezuela President Rodríguez said early on Thursday that at least 32 people were killed and more than 700 injured after back-to-back powerful earthquakes struck the country on Wednesday evening.

She warned the toll was expected to rise as rescuers search collapsed buildings and emergency crews reach devastated areas after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes roiled the region.

La Guaria apparently was the hardest hit state, she said.

“Dozens of buildings have collapsed and we are engaged in the arduous task of rescuing the lives that God allows us to save. The state of La Guaira is facing a true tragedy and has become a disaster zone,” she said.

Many Venezuelans were at home when the quakes struck during a public holiday.

"There was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I've never experienced anything like it," said Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas.

Residents across Caracas, which was also hit by a deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake in 1967, rushed to evacuate as buildings shook.

"As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming," said Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas. "Everyone was running down the stairs."

Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner in southern Caracas, said police helped her get out of her home. "This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967," she said.

Another resident, a 41-year-old office worker who declined to be named, said she received an earthquake alert on her phone just before the shaking intensified.

"As I picked it up and started listening to what it was saying, I first felt light shaking. Then, in less than two seconds, everything started moving."

International leaders including El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, Dominican Republic's Luis Abinader and Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva offered support and sympathy, while the US State Department said it was in touch with Venezuelan authorities and mobilising assistance.

Rodriguez, who has been running the country since the US ouster of President Nicolas Maduro in January, said she has instructed the foreign ministry to coordinate the aid offers.

The US embassy in Caracas said it was closely monitoring the aftermath of the quake and urged citizens in the country to seek secure shelter and avoid damaged areas.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the two earthquakes had "left a devastating number of deaths," without citing any official casualty figures.

"The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

"The USA stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly. We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good." (Agencies)



Edited by Tony Sabine