Multiple buildings collapsed in capital Caracas as two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela in quick succession late Wednesday afternoon.

A magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit about 160 km west of Caracas at 6:04 p.m. local time (2204 GMT) on Wednesday, followed less than a minute later by an even stronger magnitude-7.5 tremor at a shallow depth of 10 km, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and designated a general to oversee the emergency response.