Two strong earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck west of the Venezuelan capital on Wednesday evening. Buildings collapsed in Caracas, and experts predict a large number of victims. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the second earthquake occurred one minute after the first.
"A large number of casualties and widespread damage are likely, and the disaster is likely to be widespread," the USGS said, noting that preliminary estimates put the death toll at 10,000 to 100,000. Authorities have not yet released an estimate of the number of dead or injured. Cabello: Venezuela's Acting President Delsy Rodríguez has declared a state of emergency.
He also announced the closure of Caracas International Airport due to earthquake damage, Reuters reports.
